www.gcsaa.org • August 2013 Offcial Publication of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
golf course management
healthy grass Rhizomatous Tall Fescue
Higher EDUCATION Oak Hill, home to this month’s PGA Championship, has become a classroom for future superintendents. PAGE 42
T E C H N O LO G Y
healthy grass T E C H N O LO G Y
www.gcsaa.org • August 2013 Offcial Publication of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
golf course management
Higher EDUCATION Oak Hill, home to this month’s PGA Championship, has become a classroom for future superintendents. PAGE 42
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contents
August 2013 Volume 81 • Number 8
42 Returning the favor The beneficiary of plenty of help and encouragement along his own career path, Oak Hill’s Jeff Corcoran is now paying it forward to a whole new crop of golf course management professionals. Scott Hollister
54 Before the storm Advanced planning and new storm-detection technologies can help you keep golfers and your crew safe when lightning threatens. Ed Brotak, Ph.D.
64 Finding the middle ground What is the best choice for fairways in the Mid-Atlantic region, where both warm- and cool-season grasses are options? Stacie Zinn Roberts
On the Cover
This month’s cover showcases the 13th hole on the East Course at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y., site of this month’s PGA Championship. The photo was taken by Montana Pritchard for the PGA of America.
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contents
RESEARCH
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72 Foliar uptake of nitrogen on creeping bentgrass and bermudagrass greens
THEINSIDER
Creeping bentgrass and hybrid bermudagrass show similar uptake of foliar-applied nitrogen. Chris Stiegler, Ph.D. Mike Richardson, Ph.D. Doug Karcher, Ph.D.
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78 Phosphorus availability
in root zones as affected by fertilizer type What are the effects of organic fertilizers that supply excess phosphorus when they are applied in quantities that supply sufficient nitrogen to turf? G.K. Stahnke, Ph.D. E.D. Miltner, Ph.D. C.G. Cogger, Ph.D. R.A. Luchterhand R.E. Bembenek
84 Cutting edge Teresa Carson
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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT (ISSN 0192-3048 [print]; ISSN 21573085 [online]) is published monthly by GCSAA Communications Inc., 1421 Research Park Drive, Lawrence, KS 66049-3859, 785-841-2240. Subscriptions (all amounts U.S. funds only): $60 a year. Outside the United States and Canada, write for rates. Single copy: $5 for members, $7.50 for nonmembers. Offce of publication and editorial offce is at GCSAA, 1421 Research Park Drive, Lawrence, KS 66049-3859. Periodicals postage paid at Lawrence, Kan., and at additional mailing offces. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: Golf Course Management, 1421 Research Park Drive, Lawrence, KS 66049. CANADA POST: Publications mail agreement No. 40030949. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to P.O. Box 122, Niagara Falls, ONT L2E 6S8.
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The Insider: Assistant Picking up the slack Parker Ferren
The Insider: Shop MVT honors man of many talents Scott Hollister
The Insider: Environment Generally electric Howard Richman
The Insider: Turf Paints, pigment and turfgrass health Teresa Carson
DEPARTMENTS 16 18 20 28 30 70 86 90 94 94 98 98 98 101 104
President’s message Inside GCM Front nine Field reports Photo quiz Through the green Industry news Product news On course Coming up Newly certified New members On the move In memoriam Final shot
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golf course management OUR MISSION Golf Course Management magazine is dedicated to advancing the golf course superintendent profession and helping GCSAA members achieve career success. To that end, GCM provides authoritative “how-to” career-oriented, technical and trend information by industry experts, researchers and golf course superintendents. By advancing the profession and members’ careers, the magazine contributes to the enhancement, growth and vitality of the game of golf. GCSAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Vice President Secretary/Treasurer Immediate Past President Directors
Chief Executive Offcer
PATRICK R. FINLEN, CGCS KEITH A. IHMS, CGCS JOHN J. O’KEEFE, CGCS SANDY G. QUEEN, CGCS RAFAEL BARAJAS, CGCS DARREN J. DAVIS JOHN R. FULLING JR., CGCS PETER J. GRASS, CGCS BILL H. MAYNARD, CGCS J. RHETT EVANS
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The articles, discussions, research and other information in this publication are advisory only and are not intended as a substitute for specifc manufacturer instructions or training for the processes discussed, or in the use, application, storage and handling of the products mentioned. Use of this information is voluntary and within the control and discretion of the reader. ©2013 by GCSAA Communications Inc., all rights reserved.
President’s Message by Patrick R. Finlen, CGCS
The importance of chapter success Most national associations have some form of regional divisions, usually based on state boundaries or other geographic delineation. I am not sure how vital these subgroups are for other associations, but for GCSAA, chapters are critical because of the variety of climates, multitude of agronomic requirements and considerable disparity of local/regional government regulation that our members face. GCSAA’s leadership recognizes many issues can’t be solved on the national level, nor does a one-size-fts-all program apply across all 99 chapters. GCSAA is continually looking to offer chapters the resources that will best allow them and our shared members to achieve success. There are many such programs and services in which GCSAA and chapters pool resources, but this month I want to touch upon three that are relatively new: Rounds 4 Research, chapter outreach grants and feld staff. You might be aware that in June, Rounds 4 Research generated $107,000, 80 percent of which is being returned to chapters. We are in the midst of the second auction that closes Aug. 11. I encourage you to reach out to your friends, peers and golfers at your facilities and share with them the link to the online auction — www.rounds4research.com. We had very good chapter participation this year, with just over 50 percent of chapters participating. Our goal is to increase that fgure next year and expand the number of facilities participating. The beauty of Rounds 4 Research is the collaboration between the national headquarters and chapters that generates valuable research dollars that are then invested to address local/regional issues. The chapter outreach grant program has been in existence for fve years, and was designed to help promote the profession, the chapter and the national association. GCSAA provides funds for chapters to use in these efforts with the stipulation they are matched. Just as our national efforts are directed toward elevating the image of the superintendent with key constituents including golfers, employers and lawmakers, this program is intended to achieve the same result on a chapter level. These funds have been invested in radio programming, television commercials, advertising, trade show banners, articles in golfer publications and other means. This is another example of how local implementation can complement national efforts.
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Finally, we are in the last stretch of flling the remaining open feld staff position. We are conducting interviews and should have the person on board before the Chapter Delegates Meeting Oct. 1-2. This program is resource-intensive and came into being during diffcult economic times, so I applaud the prior boards and GCSAA staff for their creativity in implementing the program. The feedback we have received thus far has been extremely positive, and we have seen feld staff participate in government relations activities, write
GCSAA is continually looking to offer chapters the resources that will best allow them and our shared members to achieve success. articles for state and regional golf publications, and assist in building coalitions with allied golf associations, implementing Rounds 4 Research and helping create social media platforms to name just a few. To date, the program has worked as it was originally envisioned, with staff in the feld working with chapters to identify issues and then collaborating with staff at headquarters to deliver solutions. It’s a team approach that has produced impressive results on your behalf at the chapter level, and we are currently working on a collection of online regional pages that will enhance communication and resource sharing, targeted for release early this fall. Chapter programming is critical to your success and that of the industry. With the Chapter Delegates Meeting on the horizon, I encourage you to share your thoughts with your chapter representative so that we can continue to deliver value to you. GCM Patrick R. Finlen (pfinlen@olyclub.com) is the director of golf at The Olympic Club in San Francisco and a 28-year GCSAA member.
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Inside GCM by Scott Hollister
A little help from their friends Before I joined the GCSAA staff back in March of 1998, I had spent the previous nine years — the first nine years of my working life — in the newspaper business as a sports writer at a series of small daily newspapers around the Kansas City area. Because sports writers spend as much time away from their newsrooms as they do in them, covering games and chasing feature stories, your colleagues in the feld — sports writers from rival newspapers or broadcasters from the local TV and radio scene — become de facto coworkers. You see as much, if not more, of them as you do the folks who get their paychecks from the same place that you do. As a result, camaraderie develops and friendships form. GCM’s own associate editor, Howard Richman, and I, for example, knew each other for a number of years before we ever shared an offce at GCSAA thanks to this very phenomenon. We may have worked for different newspapers, but we spent more time than either of us cares to remember covering high school basketball, minor league hockey and, every once in awhile, big-time college football. I was reminded of this unique part of my former profession last month when I spent a few days at Omaha (Neb.) Country Club for the U.S. Senior Open. The nearly 100 members of the golf course maintenance team that week may have come from a wide variety of different golf courses from all over the Midwest, but just like we used to do in rickety press boxes and cramped media dining rooms, there were bonds being developed and connections being made. The most obvious difference between what took place in Omaha and my adventures in sports writing, of course, was the fact that those superintendents weren’t just palling around while waiting to go about their business; they were in essence actively helping a competitor put their best foot forward. As tight as Howard and I might have become, he wasn’t writing my stories for me and I wasn’t helping him with his. And that is really one of the things that makes this business such a unique one — the uncanny way that superintendents help out other superintendents. Even in an increasingly competitive environment for golfers and the dollars they possess, superintendents rarely hesitate to lend a helping hand, whether that means volunteering at a professional tournament or shar-
18 GCM August 2013
ing equipment or agronomic advice. That even extends to helping colleagues in the industry better themselves professionally. Mentoring is a crucial part of any business, but it’s especially pronounced in golf course management, where tales of younger superintendents benefting from the sage guidance of more veteran turf managers are endless. It’s a tale that will be front and center around the maintenance facility at this month’s PGA Championship. Jeff Corcoran, the manager of golf and grounds at Oak Hill Golf Club
Even in an increasingly competitive environment for golfers and the dollars they possess superintendents rarely hesitate to lend a helping hand, whether that means volunteering at a professional tournament or sharing equipment or agronomic advice. in Rochester, N.Y., knows all too well how much the help and advice of others meant to his career, and since becoming a head superintendent himself, he’s been determined to provide those working for him that same kind of help. You can read all about Corcoran’s career and his team’s preparations for the PGA on Page 42 of this month’s issue. And I’ll get yet another chance to witness the charitable spirit of superintendents when I arrive in Rochester to spearhead our behind-the-scenes coverage of golf course maintenance activities at the championship. Our reports on our blog (http:// gcm.typepad.com) begin Sunday, Aug. 4. GCM Scott Hollister (shollister@gcsaa.org) is GCM’s editor-in-chief.
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Construction work is ongoing at Ambiente, the golf course development that JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa will unveil later this year. Photo courtesy of Mastro Communications
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Atlanta Athletic Club (AAC) in Johns Creek, Ga., has gone all Champion Ultradwarf bermudagrass on its greens. The Riverside Course began planting Champion Ultradwarf bermudagrass (replacing bentgrass) on its greens July 17. The process is expected to take about seven weeks to complete, says Ken Mangum, CGCS, director of grounds and golf courses at AAC. The two courses at AAC will be the site for the 2014 U.S. Amateur. More recently, AAC’s Highlands Course (which switched to Champion ultradwarf bermudagrass greens in 2009) was the site of the 2011 PGA Championship.
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A new course for golf? Golf course construction in America may never equal levels of the 1990s. There are obvious signs, however, that we have not seen the last course built in the U.S. On July 9, New Orleans got the approval it needs to build a $24.5 million championship golf course at City Park. Construction could begin before the end of this year with the hope it will be open by 2015. In May, Dallas leaders unanimously approved a plan to build a world-class course there, and it already has a name: Trinity Forest. In Scottsdale, Ariz., Ambiente is a renewal of what previously was Indian Bend Golf Course at Camelback Golf Club. The new design is one of the last under the Hurdzan/Fry Environmental Golf Design label; Mike Hurdzan and Dana Fry announced last year that they were forming their own companies but would complete projects they started together. Jason Straka, who worked for Hurdzan/Fry and now partners with Fry, is overseeing Ambiente. He can put into perspective what has occurred, and assess future possibilities, in the industry. “There has been an uptick in some work now,” Straka tells GCM, “and you’re starting to see a little more activity. Maybe not so much new, but more in regards to renovations of courses.” National Golf Foundation Senior Vice President Greg Nathan says his organization does not anticipate the number of new openings will grow much in the foreseeable future. Only 14 courses opened and more than 150 closed in 2012. The number of combined net closures since the supply decline started in 2006 is approximately 500, less than 4 percent of the total national supply of facilities, which are nearly 16,000. “Owners and operators would not be rooting for increases in new U.S. course openings because the current situation is already extremely challenging in terms of the supply and demand imbalance that has them competing hard for golfers and rounds,” Nathan says.
Ron Whitten, Golf Digest’s senior architecture editor, says: “I don’t see golf construction returning to the boom of the 1990s anytime soon, perhaps not in my remaining lifetime. What drove the 1990s boom was housing developments, and there’s a glut of homes with no need for new golf residential developments. Casinos seem to be the driving force behind new course construction in the U.S. right now, and that market is rapidly becoming saturated.” As for Ambiente, it is following a trend that has become popular among redesigns and restorations: being environmentally friendly and more sustainable. Ambiente’s GCSAA Class A superintendent, Kirk Hardin, notes how Ambiente has been reduced from 220 acres of turf to only 85. “There will be more native vegetation, which will create a better situation for wildlife, reduce pesticides and decrease water use by one-third,” says Hardin, a 20-year member of the association. “It’s fun to take something you knew was inferior and build something brand-new, on the same site. It doesn’t feel like you are at the same facility anymore.” When the Ambiente project is completed, the Fry/Straka team has more work in the U.S., including Southern California. Many of their projects, though, are overseas (including at least eight in China, Straka says). He believes there are places in America that could be targets for new golf courses, such as North Dakota, western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. Whitten, though, isn’t so sure. He points to the renowned Donald Trump, who has a stable of courses in the U.S., including Trump National in Bedminster, N.J. Lately, Trump has his eyes elsewhere — faraway places, such as Scotland and Dubai. “Donald Trump has taken his toys overseas,” Whitten says. — Howard Richman, GCM associate editor
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Inwood Country Club, then and now
Canadian courses pummeled by foods The worst fooding in Alberta’s history has taken its toll. Golf courses obviously were not spared from the destruction. Kananaskis Country Golf Course, where 20-year GCSAA member Calvin McNeely is the superintendent, is closed for the remainder of the season (Kananaskis has two courses). Glencoe Golf & Country Club in Calgary was forced to put its grand reopening to showcase its $7 million renovation on hold. “Some clubs have had fooding before, but not to this extent,” says GCSAA Class A superintendent James Beebe of Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club in Alberta. “We have had nothing on this scale — not even close.” In a July 5 message on its website, the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association noted that golf course managers “are surely the defnition of perseverance and dedication.” It also noted some of the courses that were affected have fully or partially reopened. That won’t happen, though, at Kananaskis, a facility that is government-operated. More than half of the greens there were renovated in the past 12 months. The foodwaters that reached as high as 8 feet on some of the greens overshadowed all of the work that had been accomplished.
Photo courtesy of USGA
Photo courtesy of John Deere
Severe fooding at Kananaskis Country GC in Alberta, Canada, has forced closure of the facility for the season. Numerous courses in the region suffered extreme damage. Photo courtesy of Nelson Dechant
Open opportunities Photo opportunities proved to be plentiful in June at both the men’s and women’s U.S. Opens. Pictured here is U.S. Open champion Justin Rose after he triumphed at Merion Golf Club. To his right is director of golf course operations Matt Shaffer. In the other image, Sebonack Golf Club superintendent Garret Bodington’s daughter, Elizabeth, participated in Family Day during the U.S. Women’s Open, sponsored by LaCorte Equipment for the Long Island GCSA.
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Editor’s note: This piece was written by Kevin Doyle, GCSAA’s field staff representative for the Northeast region. Nearly seven months had passed between visits to Inwood Country Club. My last call had come exactly one week after Hurricane Sandy devastated the East Coast. The story of Inwood Country Club refected the worst possible scenario for our industry: the golf course entirely under saltwater, maintenance building completely fooded, all equipment ruined and the home and all personal belongings of GCSAA Class A superintendent Kevin Stanya a total loss. Sandy was a natural disaster of epic proportions, and at least one of our own took a direct hit. There would be others. On Nov. 6, 2012, despite the sun shining, there was a dark cloud over Long Island, and it seemed to be thickest atop Inwood Country Club. Fast-forward seven months. The dark clouds are no longer fctional; with nearly 6 inches of rain in a scant four days, they actually are hovering over Inwood. However, that only helps to accentuate the silver lining. The gray turf is now green. The 130 trees that were uprooted by the hurricane no longer are on the site. The once-devastated maintenance building and offce are flled with shiny new equipment. Stanya and the leadership at Inwood chose to fght back with the vigor that emulates the long-standing tradition of the club. They clearly are winning the fght. There are plans for a berm renovation project to better protect the course. Stanya readily admits that while such an improvement wouldn’t have been enough to keep Sandy at (or in) the bay, the effort will aid with moderate weather that continues to cause problems on a regular basis. “The members now understand how fragile the situation is and what it costs to come back from a disaster,” says Stanya, a 16-year GCSAA member. “They want to protect what we have now.” An outside contractor will perform the work, atypical for Inwood as most of the projects are usually completed in-house. Stanya is in a better place personally as well. He no longer lives in Long Beach, the site of his home lost in the hurricane. While the home he and his longtime girlfriend share is no longer a chip shot to the ocean, which he loved, he unknowingly purchased a home next to a childhood friend. “We played hockey together for 15 years growing up,” Stanya says. “He’s changed a little bit, but recognized my name as soon as I introduced myself.” Memories of Sandy have faded as new issues, weather-related or otherwise, make headlines. Golf on Long Island continues the fght back to pre-hurricane standards. Just as memories of the Long Island Express storm of 1938 receded to the back of residents’ minds or were completely erased, the hope is that Hurricane Sandy of 2012 will one day do the same.
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Smithco founder Ted Smith (left) and his son, Don, have been instrumental in the golf course industry business for decades. Photo courtesy of Jim Block
Dernoeden
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The USGA announced two championship sites for 2016. CordeValle in San Martin, Calif., will host the U.S. Women’s Open July 7-10. GCSAA Class A superintendent Thomas Gray, CGCS, is in charge there. He is a 34-year member of the association. The U.S. Mid-Amateur will be played Sept. 10-15 at Stonewall Links in Elverson, Pa. Daniel Dale, a 23-year member of GCSAA, is the superintendent.
Smithco founder passes away Ted Smith may have gotten a late start in the game. There is no doubt, however, that his entry into the golf course industry was well timed. Smith, who died June 10 at 98, was a pioneer and innovator of turf maintenance products. He founded Smithco in 1967 in Wayne, Pa., and that same year launched the well-known Red Rider utility truck, a nifty vehicle to transport people and walking greens mowers. “He started Smithco at the age of 52 when most men were thinking about retirement,” his son, Don Smith, tells GCM. “He always respected the golf course superintendent and only produced products using their input.” Riding bunker rakes were another product that Ted Smith developed. Smithco has grown through the years, adding factories in Kansas and Wisconsin, where they manufactured sprayers, sweepers and greens rollers. The Red Rider, though, always seemed to be frst and foremost in his heart. “The Red Rider defnitely was his baby,” Don Smith says. “In fact, in one of our last conversations while he was in the hospital I asked him if he had any new ideas for the company. His response was ‘Bring back the Red Rider.’’’ Smithco continues to keep running strong with Don Smith as president, Bill Kenney as vice president and 65 dedicated sales, engineering and administrative staff. Ñ Howard Richman, GCM associate editor
Veteran turfgrass researchers retire Two notable contributors to turfgrass research have announced their retirements from their university positions. Peter Dernoeden, Ph.D., and Ali Harivandi, Ph.D., stepped down from their academic posts. Dernoeden was turfgrass science professor at the University of Maryland. Harivandi was with the University of California Cooperative Extension. And how about this? Their career paths had similar roots. “Ali and I were graduate students of Dr. Jack Butler at Colorado State University in the 1970s,” Dernoeden says.
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Harivandi
Dernoeden, who often was a presenter at GCSAA’s Education Conference, received GCSAA’s 2012 Col. John Morley Distinguished Service Award. He spent more than three decades at Maryland; his teaching, research and extension benefted superintendents throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Dernoeden was highly regarded and respected in both plant pathology and weed control. He discovered bentgrass dead spot and identifed several diseases and pathogens not previously reported in the eastern U.S. His work with leaf spot in the mid-1990s laid the foundation for managing perennial ryegrass in the transition zone, while his work with herbicides proved selective control of annual bluegrass in ryegrass fairways was possible. Dernoeden, who published dozens of scientifc journal articles and co-authored the books “The Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases” and “Managing Turfgrass Pests,” also pioneered the use of fne-leaf fescues for low-maintenance areas. “My best memories are of the many fne graduate students that I mentored,” recalls Dernoeden, adding that one of the reasons he is retiring is that he has become hard of hearing, which he says is affecting his ability to teach and participate in meetings. “They did a fantastic job in increasing our understanding and management of turf diseases.” Harivandi started at California in 1979, when he was hired for his expertise in turfgrass, soils, salinity, irrigation and recycled water. Harivandi, who for more than two decades served as a lecturer for GCSAA’s education programs and received the association’s Distinguished Service Award in 1995, won the American Society for Horticultural Science 2010 Outstanding Extension Division Educational Materials Award with his publication “No-mow fne-leaf grasses for California urban landscapes.” As an internationally recognized expert on recycled, reclaimed and reused water for golf courses and landscapes, Harivandi also encouraged Californians to use lower-input tall fescue for lawns and established that leaving grass clippings on lawns was, in fact, benefcial to the turf. He also recommended no-mow fescue for areas such as roadsides, cemeteries and slopes that are diffcult to mow. The University of California granted Harivandi emeritus status, and he plans to continue doing research and accepting speaking engagements. Dernoeden, meanwhile, says he hopes to still do some golf course consulting work. Ñ Teresa Carson, GCM senior science editor
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GCSAA joins USGA pace of play initiative
V v v
The PGA Tour and PGA of America joined the USGA and R&A’s stance to ban anchored strokes. The USGA and R&A announced May 21 that the ban would go into effect for competitions starting Jan. 1, 2016. The PGA of America and PGA Tour made their announcement July 1. The PGA Tour Policy Board, though, also passed a resolution strongly recommending, along with the PGA of America, that the USGA consider extending the time period in which amateurs would be permitted to utilize anchored strokes beyond Jan. 1, 2016.
Did you hear about the pace of play initiative that the USGA launched in June during the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club? If you missed the original announcement, chances are you have seen what it is all about with your own eyes. Since that time, the USGA has broadcasted 30-second public service announcements, using some big hitters to deliver the message. Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Annika Sorenstam, Butch Harmon and Clint Eastwood participated in a series of the announcements. Called “While We’re Young,” the initiative is aimed at speeding up play. The line comes from the 1980 cult classic “Caddyshack,” where Rodney Dangerfeld becomes impatient with Ted Knight as he waggles his club over a tee shot and says to him “Let’s go … while we’re young.” The GCSAA has allied itself with the USGA for the cause (GCSAA Chief Executive Offcer Rhett Evans and President Patrick R. Finlen, CGCS, attended the announcement at Merion). The PGA of America, R&A, Club Managers Association of America, National Golf Course Owners Association and the American Society of Golf Course Architects also are on board. USGA President Glen Nager said, “Pace of play has been an issue for decades, but now it’s become one of the most signifcant threats to the health of the game. Five-hour rounds are common and they’re incompatible with modern life.” A National Golf Foundation survey says 91 percent of serious golfers reported that they’re bothered by slow play and indicate it detracts from the experience. More than 70 percent believe pace of play has worsened over time and over half admitted to walking off the course due to frustration over a marathon round. Superintendents can aid the cause, says USGA Senior Managing Director of Public Services Rand Jerris.
Front and center
“Course design, course setup, is a very signifcant piece of it. Superintendents make choices on a daily basis about hole location, about rough heights and about green speeds,” Jerris says. “We’re trying to quantify what those impacts are. There are some who believe, for example, that every foot on the Stimpmeter adds 20 minutes to a round of golf. That’s a pretty signifcant statement if that’s true. These are types of decisions that we are entrusting to our superintendents, and a lot of times they have a lot of knowledge, they have a tremendous amount of expertise. “On occasion, their hands are tied by the green committees and other important decision makers at the club. We need to provide the proper education to all of the decision makers that are working at a facility, whether it’s the owner, the club manager, the professional — and the course superintendent is an important piece to that puzzle.” Finlen said: “They (superintendents) don’t need education. They just need permission. Superintendents can play a big role. It just may come down to club offcials allowing them to take action.” — Howard Richman, GCM associate editor
Ohio course celebrates 100 years It is up for debate if famed golf course architect A.W. Tillinghast had a hand in an Ohio golf course that celebrated 100 years of existence this summer. The Middletown Journal tries to get to the bottom of it. www.middletownjournal.com/ news/news/local/harmon-golf-course-to-celebrate-100thanniversary/nP92n/
Vandals do serious damage to New Hampshire course Two teenagers went joyriding on a golf course — but they were not using a golf car. Read more in the Concord Monitor about just what they did in June. www.concordmon itor.com/home/7255554-95/police-arrest-teens-afterdanbury-golf-course-vandalized
The switch is on More and more courses in the South and Southeast are making the transition to ultradwarf bermudagrass. Here is just one more example, courtesy of wate.com in Knoxville, Tenn. www.wate.com/story/22457123/alcoa-golf-coursejoins-others-in-switching-to-bermuda-grass
Fungus issue subsides in Florida Omaha Country Club lead assistant superintendent Spencer Roberts was featured on a Page 1 spread last month in the Omaha World-Herald during the U.S. Senior Open.
26 GCM August 2013
Fort Walton Beach Golf Club’s courses have battled fungus for more than a year, but the Northwest Florida Daily News reports they are on the mend. www.nwfdailynews. com/local/fwb-golf-courses-bouncing-back-1.165109
FIELD reports
Northwest Southwest Central Plains Great Lakes South Central Southeast Florida Northeast Mid-Atlantic
Editor’s note: Field Reports highlights news, notes and information from the front lines of the golf course management industry. To submit items for Field Reports, send them to editor-in-chief Scott Hollister (shollister@ gcsaa.org). To learn more about GCSAA’s efforts on the local and regional level through its affiliated chapters and field staff program, visit www.gcsaa.org/chapters/default.asp.
Northeast The American Littoral Society has recognized Bey Lea Golf Course in Toms River, N.J., as the first certified golf course in its Bay Friendly Golf Course certification program. The society, which promotes the study and conservation of marine life and habitat, developed the program to recognize golf courses that adopt practices that reduce the impact on Barnegat Bay off the New Jersey coast and its tributaries. Bey Lea and it’s GCSAA Class A superintendent Joe Kinlin scored a 99 out of a possible 100 during the certification process to achieve the program’s Gold Standard. “The American Littoral Society commends course superintendent Joe Kinlin for his commitment to reducing the impact of Bey Lea Golf Course on Barnegat Bay and for setting a stellar example for other golf courses to follow,” says Helen Henderson, the program’s manager. “This is such an important step forward for the bay.”
Central Plains Chester “Chet” Mendenhall will join six other luminaries in the Kansas City golf community in the inaugural class of the Kansas City Golf Hall of Fame. Recognized as one of the deans of golf course superintendents in the Midwest,
28 GCM August 2013
Mendenhall served as the superintendent at Mission Hills Country Club for 31 years and was a charter member of GCSAA, serving in a variety of leadership positions over the years, including president in 1948. He received GCSAA’s Distinguished Service Award in 1986 and the USGA Green Section Award in 1990. GCSAA also gives the annual Mendenhall Award to the top performer in the association’s scholarship program, in his memory. Others selected for inclusion to the Kansas City Golf Hall of Fame include professional golfer Tom Watson; longtime Kansas City Country Club head professional Stan Thirsk; Opal Hill, a founding member of the LPGA; Leland “Duke” Gibson, longtime head professional at Blue Hills Country Club; nationally known Rules of Golf expert Bob Reid; and Miriam Burns (Horn) Tyson, an accomplished women’s golfer.
Southeast Members of the Georgia GCSA recently helped to transform a weedy, pot-holed pasture into a 60,000 square foot sports field for boys and young men in the state’s foster care system. The project at Goshen Valley Boys Ranch in Waleska, Ga., about an hour north of Atlanta, delivered more than $40,000 in goods and services, including Patriot bermudagrass sod,
and irrigation system and grading work. What first began as a service project for the chapter’s assistant superintendents committee soon attracted much broader support within the organization in the form of donations and volunteer labor. Additional assistance from industry partners included a donation of six truckloads of sod from NG Turf, irrigation materials from Ewing Irrigation, construction equipment from Forefront Construction and grading services from WLM Contracting. “Part of the beauty of this project is that it has an ongoing future where the assistants committee can continue to stay involved in the maintenance and development of the fields,” says John McCarthy, a member of the Georgia GCSA board of directors and co-chairman of the assistant superintendents committee. “I really have to pay tribute to the efforts of Jordan Bell and Chris Bennett for the commitment they made to getting the job done, no matter what it took on their part. They’ve really given these kids a field of dreams.”
PHOTO quiz
John Mascaro President of Turf-Tec International
Identify the problem PROBLEM A Flag no longer in correct position Turfgrass area:
Putting green Location:
St. Albans, Mo. Grass variety:
Pennlinks bentgrass
A A CLOSER LOOK
PROBLEM B Strange pattern on green in early morning Turfgrass area:
Putting greens Location:
Naples, Fla. Grass variety:
TifEagle bermudagrass
B Presented in partnership with Jacobsen
Answers on page 96 30 GCM August 2013
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THE INSIDER: assistant
NEWS & notes If you recently graduated from college, Micheal J. Burt and Coby Jubenville, co-authors of “Zebras & Cheetahs: Look Different and Stay Agile to Survive the Business Jungle,” have some well-timed tips for nailing down a job in today’s fast-paced, alwayschanging and highly competitive business world. • Respond quickly. With such a high unemployment rate for college graduates, most jobs won’t stay on the market very long after being posted. • Show up in person (and early) when you can. Arriving at your interview with plenty of time to spare is the first inperson opportunity for you to show your potential employer that you’re hungry, committed and motivated. • Differentiate yourself. Potential employers need to understand you, like you and be able to envision you as a part of their team before extending you a job offer. • Showcase your innovation. Even if you’re going into a field that is generally seen as non-creative, it’s still smart to show that you are imaginative and innovative. • Let them know you play well with others. Companies want to hire people who are willing and eager to be members of a team, and who are capable of collaborating with others to reach the best possible outcome.
32 GCM August 2013
Parker Ferren
Picking up the slack It’s no surprise that the current economy has taken a toll on the golf course industry. Through budget cuts and layoffs, many, if not all superintendents have battled to produce and maintain the highquality courses that golfers continue to demand. These cuts and layoffs have certainly shrunk crew sizes and shortened the work weeks of hourly employ- crew members and improved the quality of their ees. The word “overtime” seems to make most work. owners, general managers and board members When a particular project or important task cringe. needs to be completed in a timely manner or on a Assistants have also shouldered the burden specifc day, staggering the crew’s lunch breaks is of this recession. With smaller crews, most as- a good way to increase productivity. Sometimes, sistants have assumed more responsibilities than for example, a few employees will break for lunch ever and are faced with the diffcult task of ac- 30 minutes before the rest of the crew so they can complishing the same amount of work with a take over for a mower or a blower while the othsmaller crew that is working fewer hours. ers are eating. There have been times when I have But although their daily tasks have become jumped on a machine in order to keep things more demanding, we assistants can embrace the moving when the crew breaks for lunch. An extra challenge, put a positive spin on the situation and 30 minutes goes a long way. make our jobs more fun and rewarding than ever. Since I began working at Pine Tree GC four One of my challenges in dealing with a years ago, the average number of golf course smaller crew is daily scheduling — using key em- crew members has declined, and we have had to ployees in the most effcient way possible. Proper make a conscious effort to continue producing planning makes scheduling easier and allows us high-quality conditions. Whenever aerifcation to accomplish more in a single day. With limited or verticutting is scheduled to begin on Monday, crews and time, well thought-out scheduling is my superintendents, all assistants, assistants-incritical. training and technicians will come in on Sunday I have also found that I have become more night to begin the process — mowing, cleanup, active while working with a smaller crew. In the etc. The next day, no one has to wait around, and summer of 2012, the Pine Tree Golf Club crew we are more productive. completed a no-till fairway conversion to CeleThis economy calls for us to be as productive bration bermudagrass and also took on the task and effcient as we can with smaller crews workof regrassing the faces of 131 bunkers in-house. ing fewer hours. It’s time for us to step up and Most of the crew was dedicated to this project pick up the slack. most of the time, so I took it upon myself to GCM work with them more than usual. I helped prep bunkers, lay sod and even fnal-cut every bun- Parker Ferren is the assistant superintendent at Pine Tree ker edge. My constant presence not only speeds Golf Club in Boynton Beach, Fla., and a seven-year member up the work, but it also earned the respect of the of GCSAA.
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THE INSIDER: shop
Scott Hollister
Gerald Flaherty, CGCS (right) considers his equipment technician, Brian Heywood (left) a key agronomic adviser at The Valley Club in Hailey, Idaho. Photo by Mike Geraci
MVT honors man of many talents NEWS & notes The other two equipment technicians who joined Brian Heywood as finalists for the 2013 Most Valuable Technician Award brought their own set of impressive credentials to the competition. For example, Tim Johnson from Arrowhead Golf Club in Wheaton, Ill., not only manages the preparation and maintenance of over 200 pieces of equipment at that 27-hole facility, he also lends his expertise to nearby Geneva Golf Club, a 113-year-old, nine-hole course down the road. “Tim isn’t just a great technician; he is also a devoted husband, father, brother, uncle and a friend to many in this business,” wrote Justin Kirtland, the superintendent at Arrowhead GC and a nine-year GCSAA member, in his nomination. The other finalist, Wesley Coots from Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas (formerly at Redstone Golf Club), established a stellar reputation for shop organization and safety during his time at Redstone, the annual host of the PGA Tour’s Shell Houston Open. “I have extreme confidence in his abilities, so much so that I don’t worry about his area at all, which allows me to focus my time and attention on other areas,” said Randy Samoff, the GCSAA Class A superintendent at Champions GC (also formerly at Redstone) and 12-year association member.
34 GCM August 2013
Not many golf course superintendents turn to their equipment technician for hard-core agronomic advice in much the same way as few mechanics would turn to their superintendent for advice on repairing a greens mower. Of course, not every superintendent is as fortunate as Gerald Flaherty, CGCS, who has a former certifed superintendent with experience hosting a pair of USGA championships manning the shop at The Valley Club in Hailey, Idaho. “I could defnitely call him one of my assistants, but he likes it out here (pointing to the shop area) in his domain,” says Flaherty of Brian Heywood, his head equipment manager whose accomplishments and multi-faceted talents earned him GCM’s 2013 Most Valuable Technician Award, presented in partnership with Foley United. “I bounce all sorts of ideas off him. When it comes to things like topdressing or mower heights or applications of certain chemicals, I rely on him a lot because he has a lot of good experience.” For Heywood, that regular interaction with Flaherty is a key to the strong working relationship the duo has developed. “Because I’ve (been a superintendent), I know what he’s going to need,” Heywood says. “I can anticipate and be proactive and not get caught off guard too many times.” That background as a superintendent began among the Grand Tetons in Wyoming at Jackson Golf and Tennis Club. He started there as an entry-level laborer, but gradually moved his way up the ranks and eventually spent 20 years as superintendent, hosting both U.S. Men’s and Women’s Public Links tournaments during that stretch. He also had a six-season run as the superintendent at the Elkhorn Course at Sun Valley Resort in Ketchum, Idaho, just up the road from Hailey. But a pair of personal situations in his life interrupted Heywood’s career as a superintendent and left him ultimately looking for work while liv-
ing in Birmingham, Ala. That’s when he got the opportunity to move back to Sun Valley for a job as an assistant superintendent at The Valley Club. Shortly after that, the club’s equipment manager position opened, Heywood made the switch, “and the rest is history.” Heywood’s ability to tackle almost any challenge — in the shop or out — is what ultimately drove Flaherty to nominate him for this year’s MVT. His acumen at maintaining and repairing equipment is a given. His shop is immaculate, both in cleanliness and organization. He’s a whiz with computers, and along with The Valley Club’s head professional, Jaime Sharp, and Flaherty, helped create a digital job board for golf course maintenance crews that they hope to make commercially available soon. “He’s a good mechanic, no doubt,” says Flaherty, “but I know there are a thousand good mechanics out there. What sets him apart, in my opinion, is he does so much more here. He knows a lot of things about a lot of things. ” Winning this year’s MVT and the $2,500 cash prize that went along with it left Heywood both humbled and grateful. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of this,” he says. “I know there are a lot of people out there who do as good a job, if not better, than I do. Winning this award just foored me. I’m really very, very grateful.” For more on Heywood — his career, his work at The Valley Club and his MVT win — visit the GCM blog at http://gcm.typepad.com. GCM Scott Hollister (shollister@gcsaa.org) is GCM’s editor-in-chief
THE INSIDER: environment
Howard Richman
Generally electric
Paul L. Carter, CGCS, likes to tell the story about one of his crew, mowing a putting green, and
the response it evoked from a member.
NEWS & notes North Carolina State University’s Lonnie Poole Golf Course has become a certified Audubon International Signature Golf Sanctuary and a member of the organization’s Signature Program. The Poole Golf Course is one of only two university-owned golf courses and 90 other projects to earn the certification. Located on N.C. State’s Centennial Campus, the Poole Golf Course met Audubon International qualifications due to careful planning to fit managed turfgrass seamlessly into the surrounding environment. The golf course also serves as a living lab for sustainable turfgrass management and environmental stewardship for various university programs and for the nearby Centennial Middle School. Brian Green is the GCSAA Class A superintendent at Poole Golf Course, and he worked with Danesha Seth Carley, Ph.D.; Charles Peacock, Ph.D.; and Tom Rufty, Ph.D., at N.C. State throughout the certification process.
Presented in partnership with Aquatrols
36 GCM August 2013
Paul Carter, CGCS (far right), welcomes a new electric feet. Photo courtesy of Jacobsen
“He (member) walked right out in front of it (the mower). He had to stop. He couldn’t hear it,” says Carter, a 21-year member of GCSAA. “All you hear out here now is the rubber on the asphalt going along the cart paths.” Te near sounds of silence signal the major changes that have taken place at Bear Trace at Harrison Bay in Chattanooga, Tenn. Te golf course — already seriously environmentally sound — has taken it up at least a notch now. Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, which is designated as the top-ranked golf course by Audubon International, has gone to an all-electric feet of golf course maintenance equipment. A state-operated golf course, Bear Trace at Harrison Bay received equipment from a variety of suppliers. Club Car, Jacobsen, Toro, Tru-Turf and Smithco contributed to the 18-piece feet, which emits very minimal noise. “It was a godsend,” Carter says. “We needed new stuf.” Funds from the Clean Tennessee Energy Grant program were used for the new feet at Bear Trace at Harrison Bay; funds came from an April 2011 Clean Air Act settlement with the Tennessee Valley Authority. Under the consent decree, Tennessee received $26.4 million over a fve-year period to fund clean air programs in the state. Battery-powered equipment replaced gasolinepowered equipment. Te new feet features triplex greens mowers for tees and approaches, bunker
rakes, greens rollers and utility vehicles. Tennessee state government ofcials estimate the new equipment is going to provide a 300 percent decrease in annual operation expenses and a 30 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Gasoline reduction alone will be down approximately 12,000 gallons a year. Te new feet was showcased in late May at Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, which is a Jack Nicklaus design. Among those in attendance to see the equipment in action were representatives from the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Golf Association and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). “Te project exemplifes the environmental protection, fscal soundness and community benefts that are at the heart of sustainability,” says Bob Martineau, deputy commissioner of TDEC. Bear Trace at Harrison Bay’s commitment to sustainability includes its nest of bald eagles near the No. 10 green (which comes equipped with an eagle cam for Internet viewing). Te course also has 45 nesting houses, a large plant bed of 218 plants native to Tennessee and a renovated golf course chemical storage facility. Also, about 40 acres have been naturalized to minimize maintenance, and putting greens were transformed from bentgrass to Champion ultradwarf bermudagrass. Tat alone reduced the chemicals budget from $39,000 to $8,000 annually. “I am glad we can show other people there is a better way of doing things,” Carter says. “We feel anything we can do to help conserve resources, reduce emissions, is right in our wheelhouse.” Carter quickly realized that things had changed on the frst day his staf put the new feet to use. “I used to be able to stand in the middle of the front nine and tell where everybody was and fgure out if we were on schedule or behind schedule because I could hear the mowers,” Carter says. “Now I have to go fnd them.” GCM Howard Richman (hrichman@gcsaa.org) is GCM’s associate editor.
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THE INSIDER: turf
Teresa Carson
Paints, pigment and turfgrass health One of the latest trends
NEWS & notes NTEP is partnering with the USGA to establish a new putting green trial for warm-season grasses. The trial includes 15 bermudagrasses, 11 zoysiagrasses and two seashore paspalum entries. The trial is being planted this summer at 12 locations across the South, Southwest and transition zone. University researchers are responsible for data collection, but trial locations are split between golf courses and university research centers. Trial management goals are to achieve Stimpmeter readings of 9-10 feet while reducing inputs, as compared to ultradwarf bermudas. Initial establishment and management parameters have been developed and these will be tweaked over time. NTEP shipped one box of each entry to eight locations on June 24-25. Two other locations received plant material shortly thereafter, and an additional shipment was scheduled for mid-July. A final trial location in the southeastern U.S. is expected to be identified before the summer is over. The warm-season putting green trial is made possible by a grant from the USGA Green Section Research Program.
Presented in partnership with Barenbrug
38 GCM August 2013
in golf course management is the use of products containing paint or pigment to relieve summer stress on creeping bentgrass greens. Some of these products claim to improve turfgrass health by reducing temperatures and respiration and increasing photosynthesis, but little research has been done to substantiate their effectiveness. Clemson University researchers put four products to the test: TurfScreen (Turf Max LLC), a combination of zinc oxide, titanium dioxide and a green pigment; PAR (Harrells), a copper-based pigment product; Foursome (Quali-Pro), a colorant containing copper-based pigments; and a commercial paint for use on dormant turf throughout the winter. Researchers carried out two studies on a 12-year-old L-93 creeping bentgrass green built according to USGA recommendations. All four products were applied weekly in the feld for 10 weeks from June 18 to Sept. 3, 2012. Two 10-day growth chamber studies with TurfScreen and PAR evaluated the products’ effects on creeping bentgrass stressed by supraoptimal temperatures. Treatments were applied at label rates. A number of measurements were taken to evaluate turf health and turf quality. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) readings were best for the untreated control, suggesting that the products did not produce more live green vegetation. In both feld studies, visual quality (1-9) of turf treated with TurfScreen, PAR and Foursome was similar to the untreated control, but the turf treated with commercial paint had signifcantly lower turf quality. The CO2 exchange rate showed that net photosynthesis for all the treated turf was reduced compared to the untreated control. Canopy temperature was also higher in all the treated plots in comparison to the untreated control, with the commercial paint product having the highest temperatures (110 F average). Microscopy studies on TurfScreen and PAR showed that TurfScreen covered the leaf stomata and PAR entered the leaf through the stomata. Both products may have been partially blocking the stomata, thereby reducing respiration. Soil and tissue concentrations of zinc were signifcantly higher than the untreated control in
Current research at Clemson University is evaluating various products containing pigment or paint for improving plant health during summer stress on creeping bentgrass. Products tested as they appear when applied to transparent acrylic sheets (clockwise from upper left): PAR, TurfScreen, Foursome and commercial paint. Photo by B. McCarty
TurfScreen plots, and copper concentrations in plant tissue were signifcantly higher for the commercial paint plots. The researchers found that the products tested did not signifcantly enhance processes associated with improved turf health and quality. In fact, the products appeared to disrupt the plant’s ability to cool itself through transpiration. The increases in heavy metal concentrations such as zinc and copper should also be considered, especially with long-term use. The research is being repeated this summer to validate the frst year’s results, which is the scientifc protocol for agronomic feldwork. However, Bert McCarty, Ph.D., who is leading the project is confdent about the initial results. “The data was so consistent over two 10-week studies plus two additional greenhouse/growth chamber studies, that I’m really comfortable with the results. We made daily measurements for over 70 days during the worst summer heat we’ve had in years, and it was consistent each day. I really hate to see superintendents spend money on something that has shown no positive response in terms of improving their product in a heat-stress environment.” GCM
Teresa Carson (tcarson@gcsaa.org) is GCM’s science editor.
the
RETURNiNG FAVOR
The benefciary of plenty of help and encouragement along his own career path, Oak Hill’s Jeff Corcoran is now paying it forward to a whole new crop of golf course management professionals. Scott Hollister
The 13th hole on Oak Hill CC’s East Course, site of this month’s PGA Championship. Photo by Montana Pritchard/The PGA of America
In nearly every career there are instigators. People who stir the pot, who nudge, cajole, prod, encourage and generally keep their charges on a path toward a brighter professional day. These instigators are particularly prominent in the world of golf course management, where mentors such as these are common in every corner of the industry, and are regularly celebrated and revered. It isn’t hard to fnd superintendents who have enjoyed the benefts of such instigating and are eager to talk about it. For example, consider the case of Jeff Corcoran, who oversees operations at Oak Hill Country Club just outside of Rochester, N.Y. With a shining professional achievement — the hosting of the 95th PGA Championship on Oak Hill’s famed East Course — looming on the horizon later this month, the 17-year GCSAA member has been taking stock of his own march to this particular place in time and the instigators in his own life who helped him along the way. Folks like his older brother, Tom, a longtime superintendent himself who offered his younger sibling that frst memorable glimpse into a career tending golf courses. “I remember exactly where I was when I asked him, ‘Can you go to college for this?’” Corcoran says. “And he just kind of looked at me and said, ‘Well, yeah.’ That really set my career path.” Folks like Leonard Tork, a retired dairy farmer with a, um, colorful vocabulary who was the frst superintendent Corcoran ever worked for as a teenager back at Stonehedges Golf Course in his hometown of Groton, N.Y. “I learned more one-liners with interesting words from that guy,” he says with a laugh. “He was a tough old bird.” Folks like Bob Emmons, who for more than three decades guided students through the turfgrass program at SUNYLeft: Jeff Corcoran, Oak Hill’s manager of golf courses and grounds, knows Cobleskill — including a veritable who’s the benefts of mentoring frsthand. And after seeing how help from others who of championship-level superintenbenefted his own career, he is now passing on similar help to those who work dents who were Corcoran’s classmates — for him. Photos by Mary Corcoran Top: Fred Doheny (left), the superintendent over the East and West courses, and won GCSAA’s Distinguished Service says he has learned much from Corcoran, enough so that he’ll be heading off Award in 2003. “I was so fortunate to have for his frst head superintendent position following the PGA. him as a professor,” Corcoran says. “An Bottom: Molly, the trusty guardian of the maintenance facility at Oak Hill. unbelievable human being.” And folks like Paul B. Latshaw, CGCS, a benefciary of a notable cast of instigators himself who took over the top spot at Oak Hill in 1999, while Corcoran was serving as the facility’s East Course superintendent. “That was huge for me. He took my agronomic acumen to a different level,” Corcoran says. This trip down memory lane is more than just a nostalgic exercise, however. It’s also a glimpse into what drives Corcoran today as Oak Hill’s GCSAA Class A manager of golf courses
Top: Corcoran honors former Oak Hill assistants who go on to head superintendent positions with a spot on the “Wall of Fame” in the break room of the club’s brandnew maintenance facility. Bottom: Corcoran (second from right) with Oak Hill’s current crop of assistants: (from left to right) Doheny; Phil Cuffare, East Course superintendent; and Chuck Zaranec, West Course superintendent.
and grounds, an insistence on helping others in the same way he has been helped and making it a priority even in the face of playing host to the fnal major of 2013. “It’s always on my mind,” Corcoran says. “How well I prepare the guys that work for me is directly correlated to the level of success they’re going to have after they leave this place. I know what others have done for me along the way, so I feel it’s part of my job to return the favor.” Monument to mobility The walls of Oak Hill’s gleaming new maintenance facility (See “Home sweet home” on Page 48) bear tangible proof of just how important it is to Corcoran to help those who work for him get a leg up in the industry. Four framed golf fags adorn the walls of the break room, “a wall of fame, for lack of a better term,” showcasing former Oak Hill assistants who have gone on to manage courses of their own. “Those guys are here busting their humps for 80, 90 hours a week,” says 46 GCM August 2013
Corcoran, “so I feel it’s part of my responsibility to get them into superintendent’s positions as soon as I can.” There’s plenty of room on that wall for new additions, too, something that’s not lost on the club’s current crop of assistants, who know all too well how much working for someone like Corcoran during an event like a PGA Championship can do for their careers. And that next addition might come sooner rather than later, if all goes according to plan for Corcoran’s top lieutenant, Fred Doheny, who carries the superintendent title for both the East and West courses. The Philadelphia native and nine-year GCSAA member knew all about his boss’s reputation when he came to Rochester from Shackamaxon Country Club in Scotch Plains, N.J., fve seasons ago. He says the counsel he’s received from Corcoran over those seasons is a large part of why he is planning on taking on his frst head superintendent position shortly after the fnal putt drops at the PGA. “Honestly, this is what Jeff wants to see from his assistants,” Doheny says. “That’s part of the attraction of this place. Obviously, it’s Oak Hill and it’s the tournaments they’ve hosted, but it’s also Jeff and his place in the industry and his history.” Chuck Zaranec, the newest of Oak Hill’s assistants who is less than a year into his journey as West Course superintendent, adds, “Jeff’s one of the best in the business, no doubt. His track record of having assistants move on to their own head superintendent positions speaks for itself.” Sweating the small stuff Whatever you do, though, don’t assume Corcoran’s ongoing interest in helping the industry’s next generation will somehow jumble his priorities come the frst full
week of this month. Even though the PGA Championship promises to be a bit of an old-home week around Oak Hill, the people that know him best — his family, his friends, his employees — say his legendary attention to detail and unwavering focus will keep him dialed in as he leads Oak Hill’s preparations for the PGA Championship (Aug. 8-11), the 11th major championship and third PGA to be contested at the club in its 112-year history. “Jeff’s work ethic is second to none … and his attention to detail is just off the charts,” says Latshaw, who is now the director of grounds operations at Muirfeld Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. “He’s just one of those guys with a knack for growing grass.” “He’s easily the most detail-oriented person I’ve ever been around, and I consider myself pretty detail-oriented,” says Phil Cuffare, another of Corcoran’s assistants at Oak Hill who focuses on the East Course. “Whatever it is, from the new maintenance facility … to working with the employees, he’s constantly pounding us on the importance of the details.” Even at home, the little stuff seldom escapes Corcoran. “He is all about attention to detail, across the board,” says his wife, Mary. “It’s a bit of a running joke at home because I consider myself a rather reasonable and tidy person. But Jeff is off the charts. I’d never seen anything like it until I met him.” Upstate upbringing As professional pursuits go, it’s been golf and almost nothing else for Corcoran since his formative years. The son of a machinist father and a kindergarten teacher mother, his very frst job was on the golf course and he’s done virtually nothing else since. That wasn’t completely by design, especially in the early days. “It was a means to an end to
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home sweet home After years of making due with an antiquated maintenance facility, Oak Hill will enjoy a brand-new, state-ofthe-art complex for this month’s PGA Championship.
Oak Hill’s gleaming new 30,000-square-foot maintenance facility — more than twice the size of the club’s old building — has been a “game-changer” for the more than 60 full-time employees who use it every day, says manager of golf courses and grounds Jeff Corcoran.
48 GCM August 2013
Throughout its storied, 112-year history, there has been plenty for Oak Hill Country Club to brag about. The Donald Ross pedigrees of its two courses. The long lineage of major championship golf, including three PGA Championships, two U.S. Opens, two U.S. Amateurs and a Ryder Cup. Unfortunately, there has rarely been much bragging about the club’s maintenance facility, especially in recent years, when the old stone structure frst built in 1954 by famed superintendent Elmer Michaels fell further and further behind the modern golf course management curve. The building had just one bathroom and a break room with a capacity of 10 for an in-season staff that had grown to nearly 60 employees. It wasn’t air-conditioned. The club’s equipment techs couldn’t lift equipment more than six feet off the ground because of the shop’s low-slung ceilings. Equipment had to be staged at various locations around the property — including a 1946 Quonset hut that had been plucked from a World War II surplus pile — because there simply wasn’t enough room at the main facility. “Dave Oatis with the USGA Green Section once told me it was the worst maintenance facility for a top-50 golf course he had ever seen,” admits Jeff Corcoran, Oak Hill’s manager of golf courses and grounds. Fortunately for Corcoran and the team at Oak Hill who will tackle preparations for this month’s PGA Championship, those challenges are all just bad memories now. In December of last year, the team moved into an all-new, cutting-edge complex located on the southwest corner of the property. “It was like fying right out of the 17th century into the 21st century,” Corcoran says. The desire for a new facility wasn’t exactly confned to just the maintenance staff. Oak Hill members had identifed the maintenance facility as the club’s top priority for improvements in a property-wide evaluation. And several of those members stepped directly into the project, from builder Rick LeFrois, who worked closely with Corcoran on the facility’s design, to Jim McKenna and Rick Brienzi, who lent their construction expertise during the actual building process. Corcoran got his hands dirty on the project from the very beginning. He and LeFrois even staked out the physical footprint of the buildings prior to the start of construction. “Me looking at a fat piece of paper doesn’t really work,” Corcoran says. “Spatially, I need to kind of get inside and say, ‘Hey, this room needs to be a little bit bigger,’ or, ‘This hallway needs to be wider,’ or, ‘The traffc fow here doesn’t work.’” In the end, that attention during planning paid off. “There hasn’t been a whole lot we’ve encountered that we’ve said, ‘Oh, I wish we’d done that differently,’” Corcoran says. And there have been other ancillary benefts. Moving off the site of the old facility at the center of the East Course has opened up prime real estate for additional corporate hospitality sites during the tournament. Attracting and retaining staff also got a boost from the new home. “Staff morale has gone up,” Corcoran says. “They defnitely take care of it better. And in recruiting new employees, it defnitely helps. You bring a guy in … to a shop with one bathroom, a break room the size of a closet, he’s not going to be so sure about working here. Now, that’s all changed. This building is a game-changer in that regard.” Ñ S.H. .
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Same song, different verse If making signifcant architectural changes to a golf course after it lands a major championship is an industry trend, then consider Oak Hill Country Club’s East Course a trend-buster. When the world’s fnest golfers take on the Donald Ross-designed East Course during this month’s PGA Championship, they’ll fnd a layout that has largely been unchanged since its last major event — the 2008 Senior PGA Championship — and, really, dating back to the last time the PGA came to town in 2003. There have been a few nips and tucks along the way, and the introduction of graduated rough as a tournament maintenance practice — a frst for a PGA Championship — will attract some attention, but “essentially they’re going to see close to the same golf course they saw back then,” says Jeff Corcoran, Oak Hill’s manager of golf courses and grounds. If there is a marquee change to note, it is on the par-3 15th, a 181-yard downhill hole with a pair of bunkers guarding the left side of the green and a pond standing watch over the right. Before the changes, the pond was a full 4-5 feet from the edge of the green, the bunkers were elevated above the actual putting surface, and the entire green sloped noticeably from left to right, which limited the number of practical hole locations. With Tom Marzolf of Fazio Golf Course Designers providing the vision and McDonald and Sons Golf Course Builders the muscle, the green was rebuilt, largely in an effort to “provide more (hole locations) and more exciting hole locations,” Corcoran says. “We changed the bunkers, reshaped the surrounds and dropped the elevation of the left-hand side,” he says. “It still runs left to right toward the pond, but it’s much less severe now. We also brought the pond right up to the edge of the green, so it’s a little narrower than it used to be.” Corcoran speculates that the newly created hole locations on No. 15, tucked tightly up against the water, will be in play on as many as three days of the championship. — S.H. 50 GCM August 2013
The par-3 15th hole on Oak Hill’s East Course received the most notable facelift in advance of this month’s PGA Championship. Photo by Montana Pritchard/The PGA of America
play golf, and that was about it,” Corcoran says. “It was just a summer job, no pressure, and I got to play free golf six days a week.” But those summers at Stonehedges, working for that grizzled old dairy-farmerturned-superintendent with his older brother by his side left their mark. “Looking back on it, it gave me experiences that I never would have gotten at other courses. I mean, I’m 14 years old and I’m aerifying greens and running a triplex, driving around equipment I had no business driving around on a golf course. I would never let a 14-year-old do that here,” Corcoran says. “But it was unique. I got a lot of good, early experience and just kind of built on that.” That ultimate realization that maintaining and managing golf courses could be a career piqued Corcoran’s interest in SUNYCobleskill, a school about 2½ hours east of Groton with a two-year turfgrass program that had developed a strong regional reputation. It was there he would form the unbreakable foundation of his career, thanks to one amazing professor and a renowned group of classmates. That professor, Emmons, made an almost immediate impression. “I was extremely fortunate to have him as a mentor, a teacher,” Corcoran says. “It’s hard to believe that this one guy leading a small, two-year turfgrass program in upstate New York … would shepherd all these guys who would
go on to do well in the industry through that program.” As for those classmates from his two years in Cobleskill, their names read like a who’s who of America’s top superintendents. There’s Russ Myers from Los Angeles Country Club, who hosted the 2008 PGA at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Okla. There’s Mark Michaud, who worked at Pebble Beach before hosting a U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in 2004. There’s also Craig Currier — a two-time U.S. Open host at Bethpage who is now at the Glen Oaks Club on Long Island — and Jeff Kent — the former superintendent at Quail Hollow in Charlotte who recently took over at La Gorce Country Club in Miami Beach — and David Pughe — the longtime superintendent at the Garden City (N.Y.) Golf Club. It’s a group that carries some impressive résumés, no doubt. But it’s also a group that’s been extremely supportive of each other throughout their careers, and one that has largely kept in touch since those days in Cobleskill. And to a man, they’re quick with their praise of Corcoran. “The guy never misses a detail, never makes a mistake,” Myers says. “It’s not that Jeff’s a worrywart or anything, but he’s just always on top of things. He’s as well-researched a superintendent as I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t take him forever to come to a decision about things, but he uses a ton of information to get to that point.”
Inside information Even after Corcoran left Cobleskill with his diploma in hand, his mentor there continued to affect the course of his career. While working to fnish his education with two more years at Penn State, Corcoran landed a summer gig on the crew at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course at Cornell University. While there, he bumped into Emmons during a turfgrass feld day event, and Emmons inquired about Corcoran’s plans after fnishing his work at Penn State the following year. “I told him I was still trying to fgure that out,” Corcoran says. “So he said he wanted to introduce me to someone, Joe Hahn, who at the time was the superintendent at Oak Hill. Literally within 10 minutes of meeting him, I had an internship to work here in 1994. “Bob was always that type of guy, always looking out for people. He just knew where people were in their lives and careers and was always willing to help them out if he could.” That chance introduction at a Cornell feld day has led to a nearly 20-year relationship between Corcoran and Oak Hill. The only break in that relationship was an almost three-year span between November 2000 and October 2003 when Corcoran moved to Boston to run the Weston Golf Club. “A great experience,” he calls it. “We did a ton of project work, I met a ton of good people and got to live in Boston, which was awesome for a Red Sox fan who grew up in Yankees country.” Aside from that, Oak Hill and Rochester — through three different bosses (Hahn, John Gasper and Latshaw) and soon-to-be fve major tournaments (the ’95 Ryder Cup, ’98 U.S. Amateur, ’03 PGA, ’08 Senior PGA and this month’s PGA) — has been the only professional home Corcoran has known. “You know, I turned 40 in May, and when you hit those big milestone birthdays, you remember them,” he says. “And it dawned on me then that I had turned 21 at Oak Hill Country Club, I met my wife at Oak Hill Country Club — I don’t think I would have been able to meet a girl any other way because we were here so much — I turned 30 at Oak Hill and now I’ve turned 40 here. It just brings into focus how much of my life has been spent at Oak Hill.” Kindred spirits Latshaw’s arrival at Oak Hill in 1999 came at a pivotal time in Corcoran’s ca52 GCM August 2013
reer. Still searching for validation that he was meant for a life in golf course management, he found in Latshaw, who had come to Rochester fresh off a stint at Merion, not only an agronomic role model but also a shining example of how to work and help others. “(Paul coming to Oak Hill) was huge for me,” Corcoran admits. “Not only was he a good mentor but he ended up being probably my best friend. He taught me to grow grass at a championship level.” “Right away, you could tell that Jeff was just a wealth of information,” says Latshaw of his early impressions of Corcoran. “Jeff is a guy with a really strong scientifc background … and he had formed some very strong opinions about the ways he thought things should be done and which agronomic programs would work and which ones wouldn’t at Oak Hill. I could tell right away I had inherited a really, really good guy that was going to be a large part of any success we would have at getting Oak Hill to where it needed to be.” The quick connection between the two stemmed at least partially from the similarities in their career paths and the big-name courses and superintendents they’d been exposed to at a young age. Latshaw obviously carries one of the most well-known surnames in the industry — his father, Paul Sr., is among the most respected men in golf course management following stints at Augusta National, Oakmont, Congressional and Winged Foot, among others, and he remains an active consultant today — so there were myriad reasons for Corcoran to put stock in what he was learning from his new boss. “I’m not sure the whole ‘Latshaw’ thing is any different than a lot of other superintendents who had established a network and helped mentor people. It’s a part of this industry,” Latshaw says. “When I look at the successes I’ve had in my career, it’s built on the leadership of the people that I’ve worked under. You like to see progression, and you like to see guys do well. Jeff understands that, and practices that with his guys.” Practice makes perfect Part of the reason Corcoran can direct as much energy as he does toward those who work for him in the face of an impending major championship is Oak Hill’s long and illustrious championship pedigree. As he says, “we’re wired for sound around here,
so to speak,” so aside from being dealt an unexpected bad hand by Mother Nature in the days and weeks leading up to the tournament, Corcoran and the entire team at Oak Hill feel confdent and comfortable as the tournament approaches. “This place, and specifcally this membership, has been through so many tournaments and it’s so important to them that there aren’t many surprises,” he says. “Whether it’s parking or on-course stuff … it’s overwhelming how good they are at what they do.” That peace of mind is why Corcoran can actually look forward to, at least a little bit, some of the reunions that promise to take place during PGA week, to watching some of his current charges ply their trade at Oak Hill one fnal time and to helping others rack up just one more highlight for their résumés. “I’m sure there will be guys coming in for a day or two here or there,” Corcoran says. “I think some of the old assistants who now have their own courses have committed to come back to their old stomping grounds. It’ll be fun.” Corcoran wouldn’t have it any other way. GCM Scott Hollister (shollister@gcsaa.org) is GCM’s editorin-chief.
Next stop: Oak Hill Getting plugged into golf course maintenance activities at this month’s PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y., will be a snap thanks to GCM and GCSAA. Beginning Sunday, Aug. 4, real-time, behind-the-scenes reports will be available from a variety of sources, including GCM’s blog, From the Desk of GCM (http://gcm.typepad.com), the Twitter accounts of both GCM (@GCM_Magazine) and GCSAA (@GCSAA), and GCSAA TV (www.gcsaa.tv).
Photo by Roger Billings
Before the
STORM Advanced planning and new storm-detection technologies can help you keep golfers and your crew safe when lightning threatens. Ed Brotak, Ph.D.
A strobe light mounted on the roof of the clubhouse at The Sanctuary GC in Sanibel Island, Fla., alerts course workers and golfers when they need to take shelter from approaching severe weather. Photos by Kyle Sweet
Golf, like other outdoor activities, is subject to the vagaries of weather. Elements such as rain and wind are often little more than an inconvenience. But sometimes weather conditions can be dangerous, and none more so than lightning.
How bad is the problem? Thunderstorms occur in every state — even Alaska in the summer. It is estimated that in one year, lightning hits the ground somewhere in the United States 25 million times. Florida, a golfng mecca, has by far the most thunderstorms and lightning strikes. The southwestern part of the state averages 90 to more than 100 days a year with thunderstorms. Only the immediate West Coast, known for its dry summers, gets very few storms. Throughout the rest of the country, most thunderstorms occur in the warm season, which often coincides with the golf season, especially in the North. No one would play golf in a hurricane or during a tornado warning. But it’s common for golfers to be on the course when thunderstorms are approaching. Nearly 5 percent of lightning fatalities occur on golf courses. To protect guests, staff, and even facilities and equipment, golf course managers must understand threatening weather conditions, plan for emergency situations and communicate those emergency plans to golfers and staff.
Tracking approaching storms Thunderstorms are most common in the late afternoon, but they can occur at any time of the day. Sometimes you can watch them moving in, but at other times, they can develop near you with little warning. Despite great advances in overall weather forecasting, meteorologists still have no way to predict exactly where thunderstorms will occur. The best they can do is determine when a situation seems ripe for thunderstorm development. Then they have to wait until the storm actually forms before sending out warnings. 56 GCM August 2013
Lightning’s electrical discharges emit electromagnetic waves that are picked up by the sensors in lightning detection units. Photo by Krivosheev/Shutterstock.com
Nature, of course, sends out a warning when lightning is occurring: thunder.
58 GCM August 2013
It’s routine for golf course managers to check the morning forecasts. If there is even a chance of thunderstorms, the situation needs to be monitored closely throughout the day. There are several ways to follow thunderstorms once they form. Weather radar is one of the most widely used methods of monitoring approaching storms. Actually, radar cannot detect electrical activity in a cloud; it shows only the intensity of the rainfall. Fortunately, the rainfall intensity is related to the electrical potential of a storm. On a standard display, warm colors, such as yellow and especially red, are usually associated with a storm capable of producing lightning. This data is free on the Internet, and it has become fairly simple to track a storm’s motion and determine if and when it will reach your location. Radar can only infer lightning activity, but there are sensors that can actually detect lightning bolts. The electrical discharges emit electromagnetic waves that are picked up by the sensors. Most of the country is now covered by various lightning detection networks, and these are usually available online. Often you can zoom in on your area and see where lightning is occurring, including the most recent strikes. Nature, of course, sends out a warning when lightning is occurring: thunder. Thunder is the sound made when a lightning bolt superheats the air in the electrical channel. The air expands rapidly and generates the sound waves. Sound waves travel much slower than light, which is almost instantaneous. The old fve-second rule is true: If you can count fve seconds from the time you see lightning until the time you hear thunder, the lightning strike is one mile away. Lightning bolts have struck as far as 10 miles away from the parent thundercloud. For this reason, the National Weather Service recommends that everyone go inside when they hear thunder and wait 30 minutes after the last rumble before going back outside. Advanced lightning detection If you’ve been tracking a storm on the Internet and conditions appear threatening, you could run outside with an air horn to sound the alert. That is one approach. But many facilities have now opted for more specialized lightning detection to protect guests and workers. One possibility is to work with a local private weather service that offers lightning monitoring. “We contract out with Weather Or Not, a local weather service, that will page us with lightning warnings,” says Terry Rodenberg, a 30-year GCSAA member and Class A superintendent at St. Andrews Golf Course in Overland Park, Kan. There are also companies that specialize in only lightning detection and can provide a customized lightning-detection system (LDS) with warning devices for your facility. A typical LDS will consist of strategically placed lightning detectors that are connected to a warning system. The customer can choose the strike distance at which a warning will be sent and the actual warning apparatus. Matt Shaffer, director of golf course operations for Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa.,
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Storm shelters on golf courses can range from formalized shelters in the clubhouse or maintenance building to lightning shelters in on-course bathrooms.
The systems rely on detecting distant lightning strikes and using that data to put out warnings.
60 GCM August 2013
and a 33-year GCSAA member, says of their LDS from Wxline: “This system provides great early warning for storms, which helps us clear our courses. There is no doubt in my mind that our early-warning system plays a huge part in protecting folks.” Kyle Sweet, a 22-year association member and CGCS at The Sanctuary Golf Club in Sanibel Island, Fla., also has an LDS in his safety arsenal. “Our system from Systematic Services provides us with an alarm if there is lightning detected within fve miles,” he said. “It can activate fve separate alarms to notify the golfers. The golfers are told that they must return to the clubhouse (or they can go to the golf course maintenance facility if they are at the south end of the property) if the sirens sound.” In addition, Sweet says they have a strobe light on top of the clubhouse and another that is mounted in the tennis center. Until 8 a.m., as the staff completes maintenance on the frst fve or six holes, the silent strobes alert them to weather trouble without activating the sirens and disturbing wildlife or members who are inside the clubhouse. “This visible solution has been very effective,” Sweet says. Their system also automatically sends out warning messages to the managers via email or text. The Yale University Golf Course in New Haven, Conn., has a similar system. “The system is set to warn us via email when systems are approaching,” says Scott Ramsay, CGCS and a 30-year GCSAA member. “When the system is imminent, we have three alarm sirens that blanket the property with a distinctive sound and a strobe light that fashes at the maintenance and golf shops. Once 20 minutes pass without a strike in our predetermined protective bubble, an audible signal sounds and the strobes turn off.” The systems described above rely on detecting distant lightning strikes and using that data to put out warnings. Some companies, such as Thor Guard Prediction Systems, try to predict when and where lightning will occur before a strike. With “electric feld mills,” these systems measure the electrical potential at a location. A signifcant buildup of the potential is the precursor to a lightning strike. From past research, it has been determined
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that when the potential surpasses a critical value, an electrical discharge — a lightning strike — will typically occur. Connect this sensor to a warning system, and a warning will be sent out automatically when the electrical potential surpasses the selected critical value. Golf establishments such as Medinah (Ill.) Country Club and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., use this technology, as do various PGA and USGA events.
You can increase your facility’s odds of having a safe season by ensuring that if a warning goes off, both guests and workers know where to go for safe shelter.
Shelter from the storm Once a lightning threat has been identifed, the next consideration is how to get guests to a safe shelter quickly. Golf carts, with their open sides, provide no protection. Sometimes the clubhouse may be too far away for a rapid and safe retreat. In these instances, safe, alternative shelters must be quickly available. These must be substantial, enclosed structures. Open shelters provide little protection from lightning, which can enter from the side. Finances are often a big factor in determining how individual facilities handle the lightning threat. Depending on the system and its complexity, costs can range from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars. There is also a legal issue that concerns some. What is the liability of the facility if a guest is struck by lightning? Does having a set lightning procedure or a lightning warning system make a facility responsible for the safety of the guests and liable if they are hit? There are golf courses that have no lightning warning systems or set procedures for this reason, thus making the guests solely responsible for their own safety. Protect equipment and structures Another consideration in lightning safety is the protection of equipment and buildings. Today, some courses have computerized irrigation systems that are particularly susceptible to lightning-surge damage. “Our Wxline LDS also disconnects our irrigation system when it detects lightning in the area, helping us avoid damaging lightning strikes to our irrigation electronics,” Shaffer says. “Prior to this system, we sustained some very expensive and damaging strikes on our two courses.” Lightning strikes can also cause considerable damage to structures and their contents. Certainly any electrical appliance or device is vulnerable to the electrical surge from a strike, and lightning bolts can also cause fres. Modern lightning-protection systems are available in most areas where thunderstorms are common. Based on the lightning-rod technique developed by Benjamin Franklin in 1740, today’s protection systems utilize much smaller rods placed at strategic locations across the roof of a structure. These rods will intercept a lightning strike and transfer the current harmlessly into the ground via thick strands of woven wire and a long metal grounding rod. Golf course managers should be able to fnd local certifed providers who can visit the facility, provide a cost estimate and install a system properly. In addition to the clubhouse and other large structures, designated shelters on the course can also beneft from this technology. “St. Andrews has four restroom buildings that also serve as lightning shelters, plus the clubhouse and maintenance building. All have lightning protection,” Rodenberg says. However, planning and technology will not be effective if the people on the course don’t know what to do when lightning threatens. Make sure all employees are familiar with safety procedures, and post lightning safety information where it can be seen by guests. You can increase your facility’s odds of having a safe season by ensuring that if a warning goes off, both guests and workers know where to go for safe shelter. GCM Ed Brotak, Ph.D., was a long-time professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of North Carolina, Asheville.
62 GCM August 2013
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gcm ex t ra
H.T. Page says the conversion of the fairways at The Westlake in Smith Mountain Lake, Va., from bluegrass to zoysia was “very successful.” Photo by Dan Robertson
Finding the middle ground What is the best choice for fairways in the Mid-Atlantic region, where both warm- and cool-season grasses are options?
Stacie Zinn Roberts 64 GCM August 2013
The Mid-Atlantic region is a tough place to grow cool-season turf. In the summer, it’s too hot for traditional cool-season grasses like bluegrass, bentgrass or ryegrass that require massive inputs of water and fungicide to keep the surfaces alive. “In the transition zone, you can grow eight or nine grasses, but not very well,” says Mike Goatley, Ph.D., professor and extension turfgrass specialist at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. In this region, Goatley says, “I fgure you could be better off if you were grassed with warm-season.” At The Westlake, a semiprivate golf course that had predominantly bluegrass fairways in Smith Mountain Lake, Va., golf course maintenance director H.T. Page says a downturn in the economy offered him the opportunity to take a chance and make a change. “We needed to do something better and more economically friendly. We lost our fairway fungicide budget, and growing cool-season grass is next to impossible in this part of Virginia without fungicide,” says Page, a GCSAA Class A superintendent and 26-year association member. “The summer of 2011 was severe and, with a lack of fungicide, we lost a fair amount of fairway turf. That was the year we installed the test plots.” The test plots Page is talking about were an experiment that Goatley conducted at Westlake using the same type of “low-impact conversion that works like a champ for bermudagrass” with zoysiagrass.
Recognizing golf course superintendents and golf courses for their commitment to
environmental stewardship
2013
Presented in partnership with Syngenta and Rain Bird Corp., Golf Division
GCSAA/ Golf Digest Environmental Leaders in Golf Awards Applications are available online at www.gcsaa.org. • Deadline for entries is October 18, 2013.
gcm ex t ra “We found that you could essentially row-plant vegetative bermudagrass into cool-season sod and, by manipulating the mowing heights and fertilizer program, could convert to bermuda,” Goatley says. “I took that idea, that concept, to H.T.’s place and did a low-impact study to convert his ryegrass fairways to zoysia.” The idea, Goatley says, was to keep the cool-season grass alive long enough to maintain a playing surface while the conversion was going on. Introducing copious amounts of water to grow-in the warm-season sprigs would also encourage disease like pythium blight that would take out the already weakened cool-season grass. The entire process was a balancing act. It worked. “On fairway No. 5, we installed test plots of Meyer zoysia and Zeon zoysia. They were sprigged using turf donated by Riverside Turf, which is based in Charles City, Va. They were installed the second week of July 2011,” Page says. “It was very successful. The plots that were applied at 800 bushels per acre flled in that summer and were 80 percent covered by the end of the growing season.” Decisions and details Still, the question of whether converting to a warm-season turf that would go dormant in the winter if not overseeded remained an issue to be tackled. “It was a diffcult sell in the past because the owners of the course are developers, and they did not like the idea of having dormant turf on the golf course during the winter months,” Page says. “One good thing about the tough economy is that it’s forced us to rethink where we are.” Once the weather turned cold that autumn, Page and the club’s owners traveled to Greensboro Country Club in North Carolina to play the course to test the playability of the mature Zeon zoysia fairways there. “It was great. We realized that even when the grass is dormant, it’s still a great playing surface. It’s just brown in color. The weakest time of year for coolseason grass is the later summer. That’s when we get our heaviest play and that’s
66 GCM August 2013
Intersprigging at The Westlake began in June, and by late September, the Zeon zoysia had achieved 50-75 percent coverage. Photo by H.T. Page
when the zoysia will be at the top of its game. That’s what helped us to decide to go with this,” Page says. The renovation began in June 2012. Page says they used an aerovator to loosen the soil. They applied a growth regulator to the existing cool-season turf and applied a pre-emergence herbicide, Ronstar. They sprayed Roundup on some areas contaminated with bermuagrass, then put down fertilizer two weeks before sprigging. The zoysiagrass was installed as live sprigs on one-inch centers using a unique planting process developed by the installer, Riverside Turf, and crimped into the existing fairway grass. The Westlake intersprigged 15 holes, one par 3 and all of the par 4’s and par 5’s, with Zeon zoysia planted at a rate of 800 bushels per acre. Down the road a bit, two par 4’s at Westlake’s sister club, Waterfront Golf & Country Club, were intersprigged with Zeon zoysia at a planting rate of 1,000 bushels per acre. Goatley says the planting rate made a difference in how fast the zoysiagrass covered. By the end of the frst growing season, Westlake, which used the 800-bushel rate, was 50 percent to 75 percent covered. At Waterfront, where they used the heavier 1,000-bushel planting rate, Goatley documented close to 90 percent coverage. “We saw roots beginning after seven days. We were jumping for joy,” Page says. “It wasn’t funny at the time, but about two weeks later a strong storm system came in with heavy winds. We lost our irrigation power two weeks after sprigging. We rented generators to run the pump house. The fairways went without water for about 36 hours and there was not any harm done. That’s how hardy this grass is.” Closing time While the grow-in process was months in the making, the course at Westlake was only closed for the week during the sprigging — something that was critical for revenue generation during peak playing season. “It was challenging because for three weeks we were watering multiple times a day. We restricted carts to the path. But before we started, we put the word out that it was going to happen. We had index cards posted in the golf carts as to what we were going to do and when. The carts were restricted to the path for about a month. Overall, people accepted it,” Page says. More than a year after the renovation, Page says he’s shifted his maintenance practices from cool-season to warm-season fertilization rates and timing. He’s lowered the mowing heights to encourage the zoysia and has used small amounts of
And The Most Valuable Technician Is… Mr. Brian Heywood Equipment Manager, The Valley Club Hailey, Idaho
“Having been a superintendent, and knowing how important scheduling, consistency and quality is, I feel the technician is really the heartbeat of the program. Without that support, it would be impossible to accomplish what needs to be done in order to provide the customer what they expect.” Brian Heywood is a former certifed golf course superintendent with degrees in horticulture and business. His agronomic experience combined with his technical skills, talent, resourcefulness and ability to anticipate what’s needed ahead of time is why Brian is the Most Valuable Technician for 2013. We congratulate Brian and The Valley Club. Foley United and GCM also wish to thank all of the GCSAA members who entered nominations and participated in the voting.
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Monument herbicide to ease out the remaining cool-season grass. Once the grass is completely grown in, Page says he expects to use about 40 percent less fertilizer on the zoysia fairways compared to when they were cool-season grass. “We are hoping for 2 pounds of nitrogen per year versus 3 to 4 pounds of nitrogen right now. It will give us money to spend elsewhere,” Page says. “And we are already using 80 percent less fungicide than when we were trying to maintain good cool-season fairways.” Reaction to the conversion has been positive. “The members this year are commenting that the fairways are better than they’ve been in several years,” Page says. Switching it up in Maryland At the very same time Westlake and Waterfront were undergoing their conversions in June 2012, Stan Wreyford, CGCS, senior vice president of agronomy for Century Golf Partners/Arnold Palmer Golf Management, initiated a cool-season to warm-season conversion at Crofton Country Club, just outside of Annapolis, Md. Wreyford says the previous two summers had been the toughest for cool-season turf in Crofton’s history. “They’d always struggled with their fairways. I had been looking at some of the new varieties of zoysia. I’d done some projects with zoysia and liked it. The question
68 GCM August 2013
Left: Crofton CC near Annapolis, Md., used the intersprigging technique to convert its creeping bentgrass/Poa fairways to zoysiagrass. Photo courtesy of Stan Wreyford Right: Turfgrass specialist Mike Goatley, Ph.D. Photo courtesy of M. Goatley
was, how to do this and not close the club? If you close a club down, the members leave,” says Wreyford, a 33-year GCSAA member. Sodding all 18 holes at Crofton was cost-prohibitive. So Wreyford decided to convert the creeping bentgrass/Poa annua fairways to zoysia using the same intersprigging method that Westlake and Waterfront did to allow him to keep the course open during the renovation process. Brian Walker, operations and business development manager for Riverside Turf, which grew and installed the Zeon zoysia sprigs, says intersprigging the zoysia was calculated to be about half of what a full-on sodding conversion would have cost. Wreyford met with Walker to discuss the intersprigging methodology, and together they made a pilgrimage to Greensboro CC to play that club’s Zeon zoysia fairways. “We went with Zeon. I like the shade tolerance, the looks of it and I like the way it played. It’s a really good choice for Maryland,” Wreyford says. “Brian and his group did an outstanding job to provide materials and education,” Wreyford says, adding that Walker offered tips on “how we would go about doing it, setting up dates and scheduling, coaching us on how much they could do in a day, letting us know some of the pitfalls we might run into. He was very helpful.” Wreyford says, “Our primary decision was to provide a better playing surface for our members. I looked at the zoysia. It required less water, less fertilizer and less plant protectants, fewer inputs. All of this is really good stuff. Picking the right grass for the right area makes us environmentally friendly, which is a huge beneft even though it was done for playing quality.” Now, two growing seasons later, Wreyford says, “We are pretty close to 100 percent zoysia coverage. I would call that a success. The Zeon is much faster (to establish) than the old zoysias. The old zoysias were like watching paint dry. Once the Zeon started to move, it moved reasonably quick. As an agronomist, I am very pleased with where we are. By the end of the summer, it will be outstanding. The fairways will be better this August at Crofton than they’ve ever been before.” GCM Stacie Zinn Roberts is the president of What’s Your Avocado?, a writing and marketing firm based in Mount Vernon, Wash.
Invest in Certification
Invest in You You are good at your job as a golf course manager. You know that keeping up with the latest changes in the industry requires a never-ending quest for knowledge. Earning GCSAA’s Certifed Golf Course Superintendent designation (CGCSSM) can provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to meet the demands of your profession.
Take the first step towards achieving this success. Call us at 800.472.7878 to develop your plan for achieving certification.
Through the green Jack Fry, Ph.D.
Easing the pain of lateral hazards Mutt and Jeff. David and Goliath. My 13-year-old daughter is small, and at her age there can be vast differences in body size. Every fellow competitor she teed it up with in the U.S. Kids Golf series in Jacksonville, Fla., last spring had at least 6 inches and 40 pounds on her, including a player named Kathy. I guess it’s a good thing they didn’t show up to wrestle. Kathy has game, routinely scoring in the 70s. She’s been playing for five years, and I’ve been playing for 40; where did I go wrong? As good as Kathy is, like most of us, she has a lot to learn about the Rules of Golf. On a par-4, Kathy inadvertently hit her second shot right into a lateral water hazard. Her father was caddying and directed her to recall the line of fight of the ball before it entered the hazard, and then drop back anywhere along that line. Before I could offer to assist, she had struck her next shot. Using line of fight to determine the spot to drop a ball that has entered a water hazard or lateral water hazard is a common mistake. Instead, when the ball entered the lateral hazard, she could have played the ball without penalty, if possible, from the hazard. Additionally, under the penalty of one stroke, she could have proceeded using one of the options under Rule 26-1 (“Water Hazards, Including Lateral Water Hazards”): 1) play from the same location where she struck her last shot; 2) drop within two club lengths of where the ball last crossed the red hazard line, no nearer the hole; 3) drop at a spot on the opposite side of the hazard within two club lengths of the hazard line, equidistant to the hole; or 4) back up as far as she liked, keeping the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard between her and the fag stick. Superintendents need to keep the golfer in mind when marking lateral water hazards. Red stakes indicate to the golfer on the tee that it is a lateral hazard. If they’re not familiar with the course, and stakes aren’t present or the golfer can’t see them, she may not know how to proceed. Red, painted lines defne the margin of the hazard when the golfer reaches the ball. In the absence of the red line, the golfer must visually paint a line that connects the base of adjacent stakes on the golf-course side of the hazard, and this isn’t always easy. Enough stakes must be in place to mark the margin of the hazard as it was meant to be; otherwise, the golfer has to use
70 GCM August 2013
her best guess to visually paint the hazard line. It is also common to fnd a signifcant downhill slope around creek beds or lake perimeters. Where the superintendent places the stakes and lines can impact the next shot the golfer has after taking a drop. If a golfer selects option 2 above, and measures two club lengths from the edge of the lateral hazard, she should be able to play from a reasonably level surface upon taking a drop. If the hazard stakes (and lines) are at the bottom of the slope, next to the body of water, it may
Superintendents need to keep the golfer in mind when marking lateral water hazards. Red stakes indicate to the golfer on the tee that it is a lateral hazard. not be possible for the golfer to use two club lengths to reach a level lie. It is better to locate the hazard stakes and lines at the top of the slope, before the ground begins to break downward, to avoid making the golfer play from an awkward lie after taking a penalty stroke. Stakes at the top of the slope are also visible to golfers from a distance. We all know the frustration that goes with having to take relief from a lateral water hazard. Superintendents can ease the pain to some degree by using care in marking hazards to avoid penalizing the golfer even further. GCM Jack Fry, Ph.D., is a professor of turfgrass science and the director of the Rocky Ford Turfgrass Research Center at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan. He is a 16-year educator member of GCSAA.
Our mission is to preserve and enhance green spaces in our communities where we live, work and play.
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research
Foliar uptake of nitrogen on creeping bentgrass and bermudagrass greens Creeping bentgrass and hybrid bermudagrass show similar uptake of foliar-applied nitrogen. Foliar fertilization refers to the process of nutrient uptake through the leaves and is often used to deliver nutrients during periods when root uptake may be limiting. Anything that restricts root growth or function can potentially lead to reduced nutrient uptake, even in a nutrient-rich environment. Applying essential elements directly to the plant foliage can effectively bypass defciencies associated with the roots or any soil issues that might prevent nutrient uptake. Foliar fertilization also provides turfgrass managers with increased fexibility, precision and convenience of applica-
tion compared with traditional granular fertilizer application methods. Foliar fertilization is an increasingly common supplemental nutritional practice in today’s golf course management. Recently conducted surveys of golf course superintendents indicated that almost all of those responding use foliar fertilization somewhere within their nutrient management programs and, in many cases, foliar fertilization often makes up a major portion of the total annual nitrogen inputs to putting greens (J.C. Stiegler, unpublished data). Because foliar fertilizer is rou-
This research was funded in part by USGA.
Chris Stiegler, Ph.D. Mike Richardson, Ph.D. Doug Karcher, Ph.D. 72 GCM August 2013
Foliar fertilization has become an increasingly common means of providing supplemental nutrition to turfgrass on golf courses. Photos by M. Richardson
research
tinely applied to intensively managed areas of the golf course, it is particularly important, from an effciency standpoint, to obtain a greater understanding of the time it takes for applied fertilizernitrogen to be absorbed by the turfgrass foliage. Although various researchers have examined the practical aspects (growth and color response) of foliar- and liquid-applied fertilizers (7,8,10,11), few studies have investigated foliar nutrient uptake dynamics or effciency and only recently have scientists addressed this topic under feld conditions (6,9). The majority of the earlier foliar nutrient uptake data in turf looked at nitrogen absorption by cool-season turfgrass leaves grown in controlled, moderate temperature environments (3,4,5,12). The previous studies have demonstrated that 30% to 60% of the nitrogen applied can be absorbed by the leaves. Although these basic studies have made a signifcant contribution, more research is needed to improve foliar nutritional strategies for superintendents who wish to maximize plant uptake and reduce losses to the environment. Studies to evaluate foliar absorption of nitrogen in the feld would be benefcial to understand how seasonal environmental conditions might affect this practice. Previous agricultural crop research has demonstrated that environmental factors and seasonal dynamics of leaf cuticle characteristics can infuence the foliar absorption of nitrogen solutions (1,2). The goals of the present study were to directly quantify the rate of foliar absorption of urea nitrogen by putting green turf under feld conditions and to determine the effect of season on the uptake effciency of foliar nitrogen fertilizer.
Experimental area and nitrogen treatments This study was conducted at the University of Arkansas Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Fayetteville, Ark., on both Penn A-1 creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stoloniofera L.) and TifEagle hybrid bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon × C. transvaalensis) putting greens maintained according to putting green management practices typical for the region. Mowing was performed six days per week at a 0.125-inch (3.175-millimeter) cutting height. Plant-available phosphorus and potassium levels in the root zone were tested at the beginning of the study and supplemented accordingly. A mixture of quick- and slow-release nitrogen sources was used to provide the creeping bentgrass a base fertility program of 4 pounds nitrogen/1,000
square feet/year (19.52 grams/square meter); the bermudagrass area received 6 pounds nitrogen/1,000 square feet/year (29.29 grams/square meter). Routine maintenance fertilizer applications were not made during the same week that foliar nitrogen uptake studies were conducted. Because urea is one of the most common forms of nitrogen included in foliar fertilizer products, it was chosen as the nitrogen source for this foliaruptake feld trial. Throughout the two years of the study, urea enriched with a heavier isotope of nitrogen (15N) was used for fertilization to allow precise measurement of nitrogen uptake in the leaves. During the 2007 and 2008 growing seasons, foliar urea-nitrogen with 15N-labeled urea was applied once a month, May through September, to 2-foot × 4-foot (0.60 meter × 1.21-meter) plots with 1-foot (0.30-meter) borders. Foliar nitrogen was applied at 50 gallons/acre (467.69 liters/hectare) with the aid of a spray shield and a single-nozzle CO2-pressurized sprayer. Spray treatments were made at approximately 7:30 a.m. after the experimental areas were mowed. Rates of 0.1 and 0.25 pound nitrogen/1,000 square feet (0.5 and 1.25 grams/square meter) were used and designated as a low and high rate, respectively. Plots received no irrigation or rainfall for a 24-hour period after treatment so that all nitrogen absorption was limited to foliar uptake.
The research plots were located at the University of Arkansas Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Fayetteville, Ark.
Tissue collection and processing Immediately before and then after nitrogen application, two uniformly sized — 4.25-
August 2013 GCM 73
research inch (10.8-centimeter) diameter — turfgrass plugs were randomly taken with a standard golf course putting green cup cutter at 0-, 1-, 4-, 8and 24-hour intervals, to assess nitrogen uptake over time. A procedure was developed to precisely remove a uniform, 0.125-inch (0.3175-centimeter) thick sample of verdure from the top portion of each sampling core obtained during feld sampling. Total nitrogen was determined for turfgrass plant leaf and shoot tissue. The experimental design was a randomized complete block within each turfgrass species. Treatment factors included nitrogen rate and year, with sampling time after application and month of year added as repeated measures. All treatments were replicated four times.
Foliar uptake of nitrogen
Top: A cup cutter was used to remove turfgrass plugs from the research plots at various intervals after foliar fertilization in order to determine how much of the fertilizer had been absorbed and how quickly it had been absorbed. Bottom: Plots were fertilized at a high and a low rate of nitrogen, but rates of nitrogen uptake effciency were signifcantly lower in turf receiving the higher rate.
74 GCM August 2013
Foliar absorption of urea by both species occurred rapidly and followed a curved pattern of uptake (Figure 1). Absorption was greatest between time zero and one hour after application, thereafter leveling off and approaching a numerical maximum by 24 hours. This was consistent for both species and demonstrates the effectiveness of foliar application to quickly supply nitrogen to the turf. Based on the amount absorbed at 24 hours, within the frst four hours, creeping bentgrass absorbed 83% and bermudagrass absorbed 94% of the urea. Bermudagrass foliar uptake of nitrogen peaked at four hours after application (Figure 1), but foliar nitrogen continued to be absorbed by leaves of creeping bentgrass up until the last sampling period of 24 hours after treatment (Figure 1). Absorption of foliar-applied nitrogen is a complex process (diffusion and/or mass fow) that is governed by time, solution and molecular characteristics, along with various other environmental and leaf surface factors. General principles dictate that foliar uptake should occur as long as the urea solution remains on the leaf surface. However, from an agronomic perspective, for a superintendent wishing to maximize foliar uptake of ureanitrogen on creeping bentgrass greens, delaying necessary management practices (for example, syringing greens, etc.) for longer spans of time (for example, 24 hours) in an effort to obtain an extra 9% to 10% of nitrogen from a light foliar application would not be practical or warranted. For both creeping bentgrass and bermudagrass, absorption of urea at 0.25 pound nitrogen/1,000 square feet (1.25 grams/square meter) (high rate) was less effcient than that at 0.1 pound nitrogen/1,000 square feet (0.5 gram/square meter) (low rate) when expressed as a percentage of applied nitrogen. When combined across all sam-
research
Effect of season on uptake of foliar nitrogen Signifcant effects of time (both month and year) on foliar absorption of urea-nitrogen were found for creeping bentgrass (Figure 3), and bermudagrass (Figure 2). Fertilizer nitrogen recovered in creeping bentgrass plants was quite variable depending on month of application and year (Figure 3). Although the range of nitrogen recovered in creeping bentgrass was similar (36% –59% in 2007; 38% –69% in 2008) between years, trends based on month of application were markedly different. In 2007, there was a signifcant decline in absorption effciency as the season progressed (Figure 3), dropping steadily from 59% in May to 37% in September. In contrast, absorption effciency in May 2008 was relatively low at 38%; it peaked in July at 69%, and then declined to 45% in August and 47% in September. These data suggest that there will be times of the year when uptake effciency is reduced, but it is not as simple as attributing these reductions to month of application within a given year.
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Figure 1. Rate of foliar nitrogen uptake over a 24-hour time period by a Penn A-1 creeping bentgrass and TifEeagle bermudagrass putting green. An asterisk indicates a signifcant increase in uptake from the previous sampling period.
TifEagle foliar nitrogen uptake Pounds nitrogen/1,000 sq. ft. 0.10 0.25
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pling times, application months and years, the low nitrogen rate treatments averaged 50% nitrogen uptake effciency on creeping bentgrass, whereas the high nitrogen rate averaged 44%. Absorption by bermudagrass was similarly affected by nitrogen rate, most notably during June and August 2008 (Figure 2). There are no published data on the effects of nitrogen rate on foliar absorption by turfgrasses, and we can only speculate about potential reasons for reduced fertilizer uptake effciency at higher nitrogen rates. The signifcant rate effect could be due to differences in precipitation of nitrogen out of solution. As spray droplets dry on the foliage, the higher nitrogen rate should precipitate earlier, meaning that a smaller percentage of the urea remained in solution and, presumably, was able to be absorbed. It is also possible that the more concentrated urea spray caused minor epidermal cell damage that may have affected the uptake process; however, visual phytotoxicity was not observed in any of the experiments. It should be noted that a greater total amount of fertilizer nitrogen (0.11 pound nitrogen/1,000 square feet vs. 0.05 pound nitrogen/1,000 square feet) (0.537 gram/square meter vs. 0.244 gram/ square meter) was recovered within creeping bentgrass plant tissue when nitrogen was applied at the higher rate; the amount of nitrogen recovered was, however, a signifcantly smaller percentage of the amount applied.
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Figure 2. Foliar nitrogen uptake by a TifEagle bermudagrass putting green, as affected by rate of nitrogen and month of the year over two growing seasons.
August 2013 GCM 75
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July
Month of application Figure 3. Foliar nitrogen uptake by a Penn A-1 creeping bentgrass putting green, as affected by month of the year over two growing seasons.
Many factors (both meteorological and physical) will likely infuence foliar nitrogen uptake effciency. However, analysis of select environmental conditions measured on site during each 24-hour sampling period failed to reveal any consistent trends to help explain the variability in the data (data not shown). For example, relative humidity is known to affect foliar uptake of nutrients by its infuence on spray droplet retention and through its effects on hydrating the leaf cuticle for increased receptiveness to foliar absorption. However, relative humidity values taken at each application event did not consistently correlate with foliar nitrogen uptake effciency values obtained from bermudagrass and creeping bentgrass (Figures 2, 3) throughout the two-year feld trial. Recently, other researchers (6) used an indirect (rinsate-based) method to estimate foliar uptake of ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen by putting green turfgrasses. They also found absorption differed signifcantly between months, and they attributed these differences to changes in ambient air temperature. In our study, average air temperature during application dates in 2008 exhibited a bell-shaped curve from May through September, which coincided with foliar nitrogen absorption effciency patterns observed on creeping bentgrass during that year (Figure 3). However, comparisons of ambient air temperatures and foliar absorption by creeping bentgrass during 2007 showed no
76 GCM August 2013
such relationship. In this study, analysis of environmental conditions and meteorological data recorded on site failed to show a strong relationship between any single environmental factor and foliar nitrogen absorption effciency.
Conclusions Both creeping bentgrass and bermudagrass golf course greens are capable of rapidly absorbing urea-nitrogen applied to the foliage. Absorption effciency is similar to that reported in previous studies performed on turfgrasses grown in controlled environments. Most of the foliar-applied urea-nitrogen was absorbed in the frst four hours after application, with the greatest increase in fertilizer nitrogen within leaves and shoots occurring between time of application and one hour after application. As a supplement to traditional root-feeding practices, foliar fertilization has become an important component of putting green nutritional programs. Based on our results, we make the following recommendations for greatest effciency: use low application rates (0.1 pound nitrogen/1,000 square feet) (0.5 gram/square meter); wait several hours to maximize foliar uptake and then water-in, washing any unabsorbed urea-nitrogen or ammonium-nitrogen remaining on leaf surfaces into the soil or root zone for second-chance uptake by the root system. Future research should focus on the effects
research of certain environmental infuences, leaf cuticle characteristics and/or cultural practices on foliar nitrogen absorption. These studies could lead to the development of optimized protocols for turfgrass practitioners to improve the effciency of foliar fertilizer applications.
8.
9. Funding Financial support of this research was provided by the O.J. Noer Foundation, the USGA Green Section and the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture. Acknowledgments This research was originally published as “Foliar nitrogen uptake following urea application to putting green turfgrass species” by J. Chris Stiegler, Michael D. Richardson and Douglas E. Karcher, Crop Science 2011 51(3):1253-1260 (doi:10.2135/ cropsci2010.06.0377). Chris Stiegler and his wife, Jenny, were killed in a car accident on Christmas Eve, 2010. The Chris Stiegler Graduate Student Travel Award has been established in the C5 Division of the Crop Science Society of America to support yearly grants to deserving graduate students. For information about supporting this effort, visit: http://turfgrassscience.wordpress. com/2013/06/17/chris-stiegler-turfgrass-science-studenttravel-award/.
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Literature cited Bondada, B.R., D.M. Oosterhuis and R.J. Norman. 1997. Cotton leaf age, epicuticular wax, and nitrogen15 absorption. Crop Science 37:807-811. Bondada, B.R., J.P. Syvertsen and L.G. Albrigio. 2001. Urea nitrogen uptake by citrus leaves. HortScience 36(6):10611065. Bowman, D.C., and J.L. Paul. 1989. The foliar absorption of urea-N by Kentucky bluegrass turf. Journal of Plant Nutrition 12(5):659-673. Bowman, D.C., and J.L. Paul. 1990. The foliar absorption of urea-N by tall fescue and creeping bentgrass turf. Journal of Plant Nutrition 13(9):1095-1113. Bowman, D.C., and J.L. Paul. 1992. Foliar absorption of urea, ammonium, and nitrate by perennial ryegrass turf. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 117(1):75-79. Gaussoin, R., C. Schmid, K. Frank et al. 2009. Foliar uptake of nutrients applied in solution to creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.), annual bluegrass (Poa annua var. reptans (Hausskn.) Timm), and ultra-dwarf bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon x C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy). The Proceedings of the International Plant Nutrition Colloquium XVI, University of California–Davis. Online. http://escholarship. org/uc/item/16j7j53q (verifed May 31, 2013). Bigelow, C.A., G.A. Hardebeck and K.S. Walker. 2003. Creeping bentgrass putting green turf response to granular and foliar nitrogen programs. Annual Report Purdue University Turfgrass Science Program p. 52-55. Online. www.agry.
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purdue.edu/turf/report/2003/Page52.pdf (verifed May 31, 2013). Harrell, M.S., D.W. Williams and A. J. Powell. 2004. Effects of foliar-applied nitrogen on creeping bentgrass color. In: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSA and SSSA, Madison, Wis. Henning, S., B. Branham and R. Mulvaney. 2009. Foliar nitrogen uptake effciency of creeping bentgrass as affected by spray volume, adjuvants, tank-mixing, and fertilizer formulation. In: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. ASA, CSSA and SSSA, Madison, Wis. Online. http://scisoc. confex.com/scisoc/2009am/webprogram/Paper52665. html (verifed May 31, 2013). Spangenberg, B.G., T.W. Fermanian and D.J. Wehner. 1986. Evaluation of liquid-applied nitrogen fertilizers on Kentucky bluegrass turf. Agronomy Journal 78:1002-1006. Totten, F.W., H. Liu, L.B. McCarty et al. 2008. Effciency of foliar versus granular fertilization: a feld study of creeping bentgrass performance. Journal of Plant Nutrition 31(5):972-982. Wesely, R.W., R.C. Shearman and E.J. Kinbacher. 1985. Foliar N-uptake by eight turfgrasses grown in controlled environment. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 110(5):612-614.
GCM Chris Stiegler carried out this research as a graduate student at the University of Arkansas. At the time of his death, he was an assistant professor in the soil and crop sciences department at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. Mike Richardson (mricha@uark.edu) is a professor and Doug Karcher is an associate professor in the department of horticulture at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
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The research says ➔ This study evaluated the efficiency of foliar fertilization on creeping bentgrass and hybrid bermudagrass managed as putting greens. ➔ Urea was spray-applied monthly (May-September) at 0.1 and 0.25 pound nitrogen/1,000 square feet. ➔ For both species, 24% to 67% of the fertilizer nitrogen entered the foliage within one hour of treatment; peak foliar absorption occurred at four hours after treatment. ➔ Foliar uptake was similar for both species and was significantly reduced at higher application rates. ➔ Overall, foliar absorption efficiency was variable, and no consistent seasonal trends were associated with these differences.
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Phosphorus availability in root zones as affected by fertilizer type What are the effects of organic fertilizers that supply excess phosphorus when they are applied in quantities that supply suffcient nitrogen to turf? Because of concerns about phosphorus effects on eutrophication of surface waters, local and/or state governments in New Jersey, Maine, Florida, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Washington have adopted restrictions on residential use of phosphorus-containing fertilizers (4,11,12,13). Urban and suburban lawns pose a specifc concern for potential phosphorus loss because managed turfgrass often abuts impermeable surfaces such as sidewalks, driveways and curbs, which provide a direct conduit for phosphorus transport to storm drains and surface water (1). Some phosphorus-restriction legislation is considering exempting organic fertilizers based on the premise that risk of phosphorus loss is reduced with these materials (13). However, many natural organic-based fertilizers (particularly manures
G.K. Stahnke, Ph.D. E.D. Miltner, Ph.D. C.G. Cogger, Ph.D. R.A. Luchterhand R.E. Bembenek 78 GCM August 2013
and municipal biosolids) supply an excess of phosphorus when applied at rates to meet plant nitrogen needs (6,7,8). When high-phosphorus organic fertilizers are applied repeatedly, excess phosphorus accumulates in soil, potentially increasing the risk of runoff and leaching loss (11,14). The risk of loss of phosphorus from natural organic sources depends on the availability as well as the concentration of phosphorus in those sources. Although phosphorus from organic sources is generally less available to leaching and runoff than synthetic phosphorus sources (5), phosphorus availability varies widely by source (5). Phosphorus from biosolids tends to be less available than manure phosphorus, but even among biosolids sources phosphorus availability can vary widely (3).
Products used in the fertilizer trials that formed the basis for this study. Photos by Eric Miltner
research Soil test phosphorus Understanding the effect of repeated applications of natural organic lawn fertilizers on soil test phosphorus can provide guidance for the suitability of these materials in phosphorus-sensitive areas. If organic fertilizers have suffciently low phosphorus availability, they might be used without increasing the risk of water-quality degradation. Evidence shows that the risk of soluble phosphorus loss occurs at much higher soil-test levels than those needed for agronomic suffciency. Researchers have proposed alternative soil tests to assess environmental risks, such as phosphorus saturation (PSIox), dissolved phosphorus index or water-extractable phosphorus (3,7,10). No environmental soil phosphorus test is widely recognized and in common use. Agronomic tests also have some value as environmental indicators (7). Another factor is the effectiveness of phosphorus fertilizers in changing soil test phosphorus, with greater effectiveness indicating more rapid change in soil test phosphorus per unit of fertilizer phosphorus applied (poorer buffering) and greater long-term risk of phosphorus loss. The objective of this study was to determine how repeated applications of nitrogen-based organic fertilizer sources to established turfgrass affected soil test phosphorus and phosphorus saturation in native soil and a sand-based root-zone mixture under feld conditions.
Fertilizer applications and measurements For this study, fertilizers were applied on a nitrogen basis, using natural organic and synthetic fertilizer sources on perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) plots on two root-zone media over three years (July 2008-June 2011). Soil samples from the plots were analyzed to determine changes in phosphorus availability in each treatment area after three years of applications (2,7). Application rates of the fertilizers were based on their nitrogen content for the original experimental design; therefore, phosphorus levels were not equalized among treatments. Perennial ryegrass was grown on both a Puyallup fne sandy loam native soil (coarse-loamy over sandy, isotic over mixed, mesic Fluventic Haploxerolls) and a sand/peat 90/10 (%volume/volume) root-zone mixture (following USGA recommendations) in the Puyallup Valley of western Washington, 34 miles (55 kilometers) south of Seattle. The plots on the native soil were maintained at 2.5 inches (6.25 centimeters) as a home lawn, and the plots on the sand/peat mixture were maintained
Fertilizer products Product
Rate
Formula †
Ingredients
Organic 6-7-0
1×
6-7-0
biosolids, 75% insoluble nitrogen
Organic 6-7-0
1.5×
6-7-0
biosolids, 75% insoluble nitrogen
Organic 8-3-5
1×
8-3-5
Feather, meat, blood, fish, poultry and bone meals, 90% insoluble nitrogen
Organic 8-3-5
1.5×
8-3-5
feather, meat, blood, fish, poultry and bone meals, 90% insoluble nitrogen
1×
20-5-10
PCSCU 20-5-10
Proforma, 60% of nitrogen as PCSCU, mono-ammonium phosphate, potassium sulfate
†
Organic 6-7-0 was originally labeled 5-4-0, but analysis from 2008-2010 showed that it consistently contained 6% nitrogen and >7% P2O5. The label was changed to 6-7-0 to reflect that analysis in 2010.
Table 1. Fertilizer products applied to soil and sand root zones at Washington State University Puyallup, R.L. Goss Research Facility in Puyallup, Wash., 2008-2011.
at 0.5 inch (1.25 centimeters) as a golf course fairway. All grass clippings were returned to the plots. Experimental design The experimental design for each site was a randomized complete block with fve fertilizer treatments and four replications. Plot size was 5 feet × 10 feet (1.5 meter × 3 meters). Each plot was fertilized with one of fve treatments (Table 1). The treatments included two natural organic fertilizer sources at a 1× and a 1.5× nitrogen rate and a synthetic slow-release product at a 1× nitrogen rate. The target annual nitrogen rate (1×) for the native soil plots was 131.15 pounds/acre (147 kilograms/hectare), consistent with recommendations for home lawns, and the target annual nitrogen rate (1×) for the sand/peat plots was 218.58 pounds/acre (245 kilograms/hectare), consistent with golf course fairway management. Fertilization was split into three equal applications per year on the native soil plots and fve applications per year on the sand/peat plots. The 1.5× rate treatments received 50% more fertilizer on each application date. Organic fertilizers The organic fertilizer sources were Organic 6-7-0, made from anaerobically digested and heatdried municipal biosolids and a commercially available Organic 8-3-5, made from mixed animal by-products (Table 1). In the feld, the Organic 6-7-0 nitrogen application rate was slightly higher than the Organic 8-3-5 rate (Table 2) because the product was originally labeled as 5% nitrogen (5-4-0), but subsequent analysis showed it to be 6-7-0 (Table 1). Based on the fertilizers applied to
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Annual nitrogen and phosphorus application rates Nitrogen Soil
Phosphorus (P205) Sand
Soil
pounds/ acre
kilograms/ hectare
pounds/ acre
kilograms/ hectare
Organic 8-3-5 1×
131.15
147
218.58
245
49.06
55
82.08
92
Organic 8-3-5 1.5×
197.17
221
328.32
368
74.05
83
123.12
138
Organic 6-7-0 1×
157.91
177
262.30
294
183.78
206
306.01
343
Organic 6-7-0 1.5×
236.42
265
393.45
441
275.68
309
459.47
515
PCSCU 20-5-10
131.15
147
218.58
245
33.01
37
54.42
61
Fertilizer product
pounds/ acre
Sand kilograms/ hectare
pounds/ acre
kilograms/ hectare
Table 2. Annual nitrogen and phosphorus (P205) application rates for soil and sand root zones.
The phosphorus in this formulation was monoammonium phosphate. It was applied at the same nitrogen rate as Organic 8-3-5. Phosphorus rates for this material were 33 pounds P2O5/acre (37 kilograms/hectare) per year for native soil managed as a home lawn and 54.42 pounds/acre (61 kilograms/hectare) per year for sand managed as a golf course fairway. Applications For the native soil plots managed as a home lawn, fertilizer application dates were August and October 2008; May, June and October 2009; April, August and October 2010; and April 2011. For the sand-based plots managed as a golf course fairway, fertilizer application dates were August, October and November 2008; April, June, July, September and November 2009; March, May, August, September and November 2010; and March and May 2011.
The plots with a sand/peat root zone are shown at two weeks after treatment. The plots are located at the R.L. Goss Research Farm at the Washington State University Research and Extension Center in Puyallup, Wash.
each treatment on a nitrogen basis, the amount of phosphorus added per year in the organic fertilizers ranged from 49.06 to 123.12 pounds P2O5/ acre (55 to 138 kilograms/hectare) for the Organic 8-3-5 and from 183.78 to 459.47 pounds/acre (206 to 515 kilograms/hectare) for the Organic 6-7-0 (Table 2). Synthetic fertilizers The synthetic slow-release control nitrogen source was a 20-5-10 formulation containing polymer-coated, sulfur-coated urea (PCSCU).
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Phosphorus analysis In July 2011, six to eight soil cores, each 1 inch (2.5-centiimeter) in diameter and 4 inches (10-centimeters) deep, were taken from each plot. Unfertilized control samples were taken at the same time from untreated areas surrounding the plots. Verdure and thatch were discarded, and soil samples were air-dried and analyzed for Bray-1 phosphorus (this is the “weak” Bray test, which measures phosphorus that is readily available to the plants) and ammonium-oxalate-extractable iron, aluminum and phosphorus. These data were used to determine phosphorus saturation (PSIox) in each treatment in each soil type (9). We also compared the effectiveness of the phosphorus fertilizers in changing Bray-1 phosphorus. A similar oxalate extraction and calculation was done on the two natural organic fertilizers to
research determine the relative degree of phosphorus binding with iron and aluminum in each material.
Bray-1 phosphorus and phosphorus saturation in soil
Phosphorus levels and potential losses Values for Bray-1 extractable phosphorus were signifcantly higher in most of the Organic 6-7-0 treatments when compared to the PCSCU fertilizer treatment. In the native fne sandy loam soil managed as home lawn, the plots receiving Organic 6-7-0 1.5× treatments were signifcantly higher in extractable phosphorus than the PCSCU treatment (Table 3), and in the sand-based fairway soil, both sets of plots receiving Organic 6-7-0 treatments were signifcantly higher in extractable phosphorus than the PCSCU treatment (Table 4). The plots receiving Organic 8-3-5 treatments showed a trend for higher Bray-1 phosphorus than the plots receiving synthetic fertilizer, but differences were not signifcant in either soil. Bray-1 test levels were in the low range in the pre-fertilization control soils and the PCSCU treatment in native soil, but were in the medium or high ranges following three years of application of natural organic fertilizers. In the Pacifc Northwest, turfgrass shows little or no response to added phosphorus in soils that test in the medium or high range (>20 milligrams phosphorus/kilogram soil). Potential phosphorus loss To determine if the potential risk of soluble phosphorus loss had increased, oxalate extractions of aluminum, iron and phosphorus were run to determine if the fertilizer applications had affected phosphorus saturation (PSIox) for each treatment and soil type. The results of these calculations showed no signifcant difference between PSIox values for any of the fertilizer treatments on native soil after three years of fertilizer applications (Table 3). However, on sand, both Organic 6-7-0 treatments had signifcantly higher PSIox values than the other fertilizer treatments (Table 4). The change in Bray-1 phosphorus was much greater than the change in PSIox, showing that the soils had exceeded the upper threshold for plant response to phosphorus, but had not yet reached a level of concern for soluble phosphorus loss. The PSIox of the fertilizers alone was 16.6 for the Organic 8-3-5 compared with 3.8 for the Organic 6-7-0 biosolids product. The PSIox of Organic 8-3-5 is similar to that of chicken manure (PSIox = 15) (3), but the PSIox for Organic 6-7-0 was higher than reported for a range of biosolids products (PSIox = 0.47 to 1.4) (3). The Organic 6-7-0 applications had a greater infuence on Bray-1 phosphorus and soil PSIox
Fertilizer product
Soil Bray-1 phosphorus
Soil test level†
PSIox‡
milligrams/kilogram
PCSCU 20-5-10
19.3 B§
low
0.13
Organic 8-3-5 1×
22.8 B
medium
0.12
Organic 8-3-5 1.5×
21.3 B
medium
0.13
Organic 6-7-0 1×
35.0 A
medium
0.13
Organic 6-7-0 1.5×
38.5 A
medium
0.14
6.8
−
NS//
LSD †
Low = < 20 milligrams/kilogram; medium = 20-40 milligrams/kilogram; high = 40-100 milligrams/ kilogram; excessive = >100 milligrams/kilogram. ‡ Phosphorus saturation index = Pox / [Feox + Alox] § Means followed by the same letter are not signifcantly different. Mean of four samples. Control soil samples (untreated areas surrounding plots): Bray-1 phosphorus test = 18 milligrams/kilogram. // NS, no signifcant difference. Table 3. Bray-1 phosphorus and phosphorus saturation (PSIox) in the soil root zone after three years of fertilizer applications, 2008-2011.
Bray-1 phosphorus and phosphorus saturation in sand Fertilizer product
Sand Bray-1 phosphorus
Soil test level
PSIox†
milligrams/kilogram ‡
PCSCU 20-5-10
23.5 B
medium
0.09 C
Organic 8-3-5 1×
27.3 B
medium
0.10 C
Organic 8-3-5 1.5×
28.0 B
medium
0.11 BC
Organic 6-7-0 1×
66.3 A
high
0.12 AB
Organic 6-7-0 1.5×
75.3 A
high
0.13 A
12.8
−
0.02
LSD †
Phosphorus saturation index = Pox / [Feox + Alox]. Means followed by the same letter are not signifcantly different. Mean of four samples. For control soil samples (untreated areas surrounding plots), Bray-1 phosphorus test = 16 milligrams/kilogram.
‡
Table 4. Bray-1 phosphorus and phosphorus saturation (PSIox) in the sand root zone after three years of fertilizer applications, 2008-2011.
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Organic fertilizer trials on the Home Course in DuPont, Wash. (data not shown).
than the Organic 8-3-5, despite having a greater phosphorus binding capacity, because nearly four times as much phosphorus was applied in the Organic 6-7-0 than in Organic 8-3-5. Organic 6-7-0 applications added six to nine times as much phosphorus each year as the synthetic control, resulting in a large excess of applied phosphorus when products were applied to meet nitrogen needs (Table 2). Raising soil test phosphorus We also calculated the relationship between the change in Bray-1 phosphorus applied for both natural organic fertilizers in both soils to compare the effectiveness of the fertilizers in raising soil test phosphorus. The change in Bray-1 phosphorus averaged 0.057 milligram/kilogram for every kilogram/hectare fertilizer phosphorus applied in the native soil, with no signifcant differences between the 8-3-5 and 6-7-0 fertilizers. In the sand/peat root-zone mix, the phosphorus effectiveness averaged 0.105 milligram/kilogram Bray-1 phosphorus for every kilogram/hectare fertilizer phosphorus applied, also with no differences between fertilizer sources. This suggests that the organic fertilizers had similar effects on soil test phosphorus per unit phosphorus applied, despite differences in the PSIox of the two materials. Soil appeared to have a greater infuence on 82 GCM August 2013
phosphorus effectiveness than fertilizer, with the sand mix having a greater phosphorus effectiveness (less buffering) than the native soil. Because each experiment had only one synthetic phosphorus treatment, we could not calculate the phosphorus effectiveness of the synthetic phosphorus fertilizer in our soils. The sand/peat experiment can be considered a worst-case for soil response to phosphorus application, because the coarse-textured soil is poorly buffered and phosphorus application rates were higher than those used for home lawns. When organic fertilizer with high phosphorus concentration and high PSIox was applied to the sand/ peat plots, signifcant increases in both Bray-1 phosphorus and soil PSIox were observed after three years. Although it would take longer, similar changes would occur in the native soil, eventually increasing the risk of phosphorus leaching and runoff loss. These results show the importance of evaluating fertilizer sources for the amount and availability of phosphorus. The soil test results show that Bray-1 phosphorus was higher when using phosphorus-rich organic fertilizer, compared with synthetic fertilizer containing phosphorus because of the greater rate of phosphorus application from the organic fertilizer applied at rates to meet nitrogen needs. The greatest increase in
research Bray-1 phosphorus occurred in the sand-based fairway treatment. Changes in soil PSIox were smaller, indicating only small changes in phosphorus saturation and the risk of phosphorus loss from the soil over the three-year duration of this study. Some organic fertilizers could have phosphorus concentrations and PSIox values that are low enough that they could be used for years without risk of increasing phosphorus loss from soil, but that did not appear to be the case for the fertilizers in this study. Our results suggest that use of highphosphorus organic fertilizers to meet turf nitrogen needs would not likely lead to increased risk of phosphorus loss in the short run, but repeated use in the long run could increase future phosphorus loss risk. This information can provide guidance for legislation regarding turf fertilizer sources, fertilization practices and water quality.
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11. Funding Funding was supplied by the Washington State Department of Agriculture Nursery Surcharge Grant and the Northwest Turfgrass Association. Fertilizer product for the study was donated by Pierce County Public Works & Utilities, Simplot Partners and Wilco-Winfeld Solutions.
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13. Acknowledgments This article was originally published in the online journal Applied Turfgrass Science on March 25, 2013, as “Phosphorus availability in turfgrass root zones after applications of organic and synthetic nitrogen fertilizers” by Gwen K. Stahnke, E.D. Miltner, C.G. Cogger, R.A. Luchterhand and R.E. Bembenek. Literature cited 1. Bierman, P.M., B.P. Horgan, C.J. Rosen et al. 2010. Phosphorus runoff from turfgrass as affected by phosphorus fertilization and clipping management. Journal of Environmental Quality 39:282-292. 2. Easton, Z.M., and A.M. Petrovic. 2008. Determining phosphorus loading rates based on land use in an urban watershed. Pages 43-62. In: M.T. Nett, M.J. Carroll, B.P. Horgan and A.M. Petrovic, eds. The Fate of Nutrients and Pesticides in the Urban Environment. ACS Symposium Series 997. American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C. 3. Elliott, H.A., G.A. O’Connor and S. Brinton. 2002. Phosphorus leaching from biosolids-amended sandy soils. Journal of Environmental Quality 31:681-689. 4. Lehman, J.T., D.W. Bell and K.E. McDonald. 2009. Reduced river phosphorus following implementation of a lawn fertilizer ordinance. Lake and Reservoir Management 25:307-312. 5. Leytem, A.B., J.T. Sims and F.J. Coale. 2004. Determination of phosphorus source coeffcients for organic phosphorus sources: Laboratory studies. Journal of Environmental Quality 33:380-388. 6. Liu, H., R.J. Hull and D.T. Huff. 1995. Comparing cultivars of three cool-season turfgrasses for phosphate uptake kinetics
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and phosphorus recovery in the feld. Journal of Plant Nutrition 18:523-540. Maguire, R.O., J.T. Sims and F.J. Coale. 2000. Phosphorus solubility in biosolids-amended farm soils in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA. Journal of Environmental Quality 29:12251233. Sims, J.T., A.C. Edwards, O.F. Schoumans and R.R. Simard. 2000. Integrating soil phosphorus testing into environmentally based agricultural management practices. Journal of Environmental Quality 29:60-71. Schroder, J.L., H. Zhang, D. Zhou et al. 2008. The effect of long-term annual application of biosolids on soil properties, phosphorus, and metals. Soil Science Society of America Journal 72:73-82. Smith, M.C., J.W. White and F.J. Coale. 2009. Evaluations of phosphorus source coeffcients as predictors of runoff phosphorus concentrations. Journal of Environmental Quality 38:587-597. Soldat, D.J., and A.M. Petrovic. 2007. Soil phosphorus levels and stratifcation as affected by fertilizer and compost applications. Online. Applied Turfgrass Science doi:10.1094/ATS2007-0815-01-RS. Soldat, D.J., and A.M. Petrovic. 2008. The fate and transport of phosphorus in turfgrass ecosystems. Crop Science 48:2051-2065. Stahnke, G.K., E.D. Miltner, C.C. Cogger et al. 2012. Phosphorus and home lawns: Quick facts and recommendations. Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet. FS058E. Washington State University, Pullman, Wash. Vietor, D.M., E.N. Griffth, R.H. White et al. 2002. Export of manure phosphorus and nitrogen in turfgrass sod. Journal of Environmental Quality 31:1731-1738.
GCM Gwen K. Stahnke (stahnke@wsu.edu) is an associate professor, E.D. Miltner is a former associate professor and C.G. Cogger is a professor in the department of crop and soil sciences, Washington State University, Puyallup, Wash. R.A. Luchterhand and R.E. Bembenek are turfgrass research technologists at the Washington State University Puyallup Research and Extension Center.
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The research says ➔ Some states are considering exempting organic fertilizers from their zero-phosphorus legislation, because it is thought that phosphorus from organic sources is less likely to be lost in leachate or runoff. ➔ Many organic fertilizers contain as much phosphorus as nitrogen in their formulations, and therefore similar amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen are applied. ➔ Soil tests in native soil and a fairway sand and peat mix showed that organic fertilizers applied at rates with adequate nitrogen for acceptable turf increased soil Bray-1 phosphorus levels from 16 to 18 milligrams/kilogram to 23 to 66 milligrams/kilogram within three years. ➔ Phosphorus saturation (PSIox) values from sand/peat treated with one organic fertilizer source were significantly higher than those in other treatments, indicating future risk of phosphorus loss with repeated applications of this organic fertilizer.
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tember 2012 along with an untreated control. Treatments were vertical mowing, solid-tine aerifcation and hollow-tine aerifcation. The following spring, plots were rated for percent SDS and rate of recovery. In the control, SDS affected 40% of the turf. No signifcant differences among aerifcation treatments were observed in the frst year of this study. In addition, no signifcant difference in turf quality was observed among treatments in fall 2012 before dormancy. Results from the frst year of this study suggest that late-season aerifcation may not have a detrimental effect on Champion bermudagrass. However, it is unclear if lateseason aerifcation could be an effective tool for SDS suppression. — Paul Woosley, Ph.D. (paul.woo sley@wku.edu), Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Ky.
Photo by L. Stowell
Drones for precision turfgrass management Aerial photography is an effective way for turf managers to assess and diagnose problems, but is prohibitively expensive. Drone-mounted digital cameras provide a new approach. In studies conducted on golf courses and sports felds, a DJI Phantom quadcopter equipped with a GoPro Hero3 12 MP digital camera was used to document the distribution of vertebrate damage, weeds, turfgrass disease, irrigation distribution and the results of research trials. The resulting aerial photographs, in combination with digital image analysis, allowed a unique perspective as well as quantitative measurement of damaged areas that is diffcult to duplicate with ground observations. Low-priced and easy to use, drones provide a new tool to rapidly assess performance of large turfgrass areas in a single photograph. When photos are taken over time, the impact of turf management programs on turf performance is easily documented. Compared to the complexity of using ground-based sensors, these inexpensive and easier to use tools should encourage adoption of Precision Turfgrass Management approaches. — L.J.
Photo by P. Sherratt
Fertilizers and composts affect turf and soil health
Most fertilizers and composts derived from natural organic sources contain appreciable phosphorus in addition to nitrogen, with some nitrogen:phosphorus ratios in fertilizer as high as 1:1 or 2:1. Composts derived from sewage and manures and applied as topdressing at a depth of 0.23 inch may contain as much as 446.08 pounds/ acre nitrogen, or 10 times the acceptable application rate. Soil tests on native soil (silt clay loam) showed that organic fertilizers applied at a turf maintenance rate increased soil Bray-1 phosphorus levels from 31 milligrams to 70 milligrams/ kilogram within three years. More signifcantly, applications of biosolid compost applied at 0.23 inch twice per year increased phosphorus levels in excess of 400 milligrams/kilogram. Phosphorus Stowell (stowell@paceturf.org) and W.D. Gelernter, saturation levels and potential leeching are also being studied. — P.J. Sherratt (sherratt.1@osu.edu); PACE Turf, LLC, San Diego, Calif.
Photo by P. Woolsey
Late-season aerifcation and SDS in ultradwarf bermudagrass
Teresa Carson 84 GCM August 2013
J. Street, Ph.D.; D.S. Gardner, Ph.D.; and T.K. Danneberger, Ph.D., The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
GCM
The use of ultradwarf bermudagrass has Teresa Carson (tcarson@gcsaa.org) is GCM’s science editor increased in the transition zone. This study investigated the effects of late-season aerifcation on spring dead spot (SDS) incidence in Champion ultradwarf bermudagrass. Three different aerifcation treatments were implemented in late Sep-
Working together to increase participation of people with disabilities in the game of golf
We’ve seen them first-hand. The benefits of golf are endless. This lifelong game provides golfers with the ability to socialize, while working out their mental and physical muscles. These benefits are exponential for individuals with disabilities. That is why the National Alliance for Accessible Golf seeks to bring more people with disabilities into the game through inclusive learning and playing opportunities.
AWARENESS – • Toolkit for Golf Course Owners – Provide guidance to operators seeking ways to make their golf courses and facilities more accessible to golfers with disabilities.
• Toolkit for Golfers – Provide general guidance for individuals with disabilities who are interested in the game of golf. TRAINING – Technical assistance and programs designed for golf professionals, allied health professionals, physical educators, facility owners and others interested in learning more about accessible golf and inclusive learning. FUNDING – Grants funds to organizations providing golf programs for individuals with disabilities, particularly those which promote inclusion, in partnership with the USGA.
Programs across the country benefit from funding provided by the Alliance including (left) The Children’s Course in Gladstone, OR, and the Golf Academy of Columbia in Columbia, SC (right).
Visit www.accessgolf.org to download the Toolkit for Golf Course Owners and learn more about the individuals and organizations who support this initiative.
National Alliance for Accessible Golf 1733 King Street • Alexandria, VA • 22314 info@accessgolf.org
PRODUCTnews INDUSTRY news Happenings and people you should know about
Project EverGreen/Birds & Blooms announced the winner of their “Art of Green Spaces Poster Contest.” First-place winners were: Olivia Long, Houston (Kindergarten-second grade); Vincent Tagulao, Murrieta, Calif. (third grade-sixth grade); Desmond Zadlo, Kapolei, Hawaii (seventh grade through ninth grade, artwork shown above); Carlo Tagulao, Murrieta, Calif. (10th grade through 12th grade). In all, 1,350 posters from nearly 40 states were entered in the national contest. They were asked to create a poster that exemplifes their artistic skills while describing what green spaces meant to them. A panel of art teachers from the elementary school level through high school level determined the winners. First-, second- and third-place artists in each group received an Amazon gift card worth $100, $50 and $25, respectively. Netafm, a pioneer in dripline and micro-irrigation technology for agriculture and landscape, was named the 2013 Stockholm Industry Water Award laureate. The commendation will be presented at a World Water Week ceremony Sept. 3 in Stockholm, Sweden. The award recognizes Netafm’s innovative approaches to sustainable water management and the development of new products and technologies in agricultural irrigation that help mitigate world hunger. The laureate is granted by the Stockholm International Water Institute in collaboration with the
86 GCM August 2013
Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
The PGA of America is returning to its roots. The organization announced it is establishing a New York satellite offce that will serve as a footprint in the region that gave the PGA of America its start in 1916 (headquarters will stay in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla). The offce, anticipating a fall opening, will be established within the “Golf Central” site of the headquarters of both the Metropolitan PGA Section and the Metropolitan Golf Association in Elmsford, N.Y. The PGA New York offce will be led by PGA of America chief marketing offcer Kevin
Ring. The PGA’s offcers, leadership team and staff will begin preparing for the centennial celebration in 2016. The 98th PGA Championship is set for 2016 at nearby Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfeld, N.J. Also, part of the reason for the offce is to foster deeper marketing, broadcasting, public relations and communication relationships in the world’s largest media capital. The PGA of America was founded in 1916 at the Hotel Martinique (now the Radisson Martinique on Broadway). Rain Bird is giving away $2,000 worth of irrigation products to one lucky green space that applies for Green Site designation by Sept. 16, 2013. Rain Bird is a sponsor of the Groundwater Foundation’s Green Sites program, which encourages managers of green spaces to imple-
ment, measure and document their site’s groundwater-friendly practices. Anyone who manages or maintains a green space can apply for the Green Site designation. The application process begins with a confdential, free groundwater site survey. Interested managers also must complete an application form, which the Groundwater Foundation scores, awarding points based on each site’s current practices related to chemical use, water use, pollution prevention and water quality. Sites that earn a minimum of 70 percent of the total applicable points receive the Green Site designation. For information, go to www.groundwater. org and www.rainbird.com. Dow AgroSciences offers online training for lawn care operators who want to brush up on Dow AgroSciences’ turf and ornamental products and services. The three-part, interactive course provides key insights on pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides and applications, as well as insecticides and fungicides. Each course takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and includes educational training followed by a 20-question quiz. For information, go to www.dowprovesittraining.com. Billy Casper Golf (BCG) launched Buffalo Turf & Landscape Co. (Buffalo TLC) to provide a new approach to maintenance-only programs. Buffalo TLC is designed, the company says, to deliver “turnkey agronomic management of golf properties by utilizing a powerful and scalable operating platform. It includes talented course superintendents, purchasing economies of scale, development of tailored action plans and budgets, overall business prudency and impeccable course and property conditions.” The new division of BCG promotes a fee-for-service structure that allows property owners unfettered visibility into actual maintenance activities and costs. The 2013 Golf Course Builders Association of America (GCBAA) membership directory was shipped to members. In addition, members can now view much
of the same information via the association’s newly launched mobile Web application. The application can be accessed by visiting m.gcbaa.org from any mobile device and is free to use. The application updates automatically whenever it is accessed. The mobile Web application allows users the opportunity to view up-to-date member information for other GCBAA resources including company data, company projects and awards, member advertisements, upcoming events and online event registration.
Trojan Battery announced a partnership with Charlesbank Capital Partners, which enables Trojan Battery to take advantage of diverse opportunities to continue to grow Trojan’s business and increase its market share worldwide. Trojan Battery, which pioneered deep-cycle battery technology, was founded by the Godber family in 1925, and the family will continue to maintain a signifcant ownership position. The transaction was funded with both equity and debt. GE Antares Capital provided the debt portion of the fnancing. “With this excellent foundation, we believe the business is well developed to grow in existing markets as well as in newer markets such as renewable energy, transportation and back-up power,” says Ryan Carroll, director, Charlesbank.
The National Mall and Memorial Parks (NAMA) is using alternative fueled lawn mowers through a donation from the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC). Each of the six propane-fueled Exmark Lazer Z S-Series lawn mowers will reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the Mall by 50 percent per mower. The combined deployment of alternative fuel vehicles and mowers added NAMA to the list of national parks advancing the Green Parks Plan, a National Park Service initiative to reduce dependence on foreign oil, mitigate the effects of climate change and conserve energy.
Echo Outdoor Power Equipment and its agency Cramer-Krasselt received a gold Effe Award for Echo’s 2012 national advertising campaign at the 45th annual
Effe Awards Gala in May in New York City. Echo won in the Household Supplies and Services category. Aquatrols entered into a sponsorship agreement with the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA). The sponsorship started in June, with the agreement extending for 12 months. Away With Geese joined 1% for the Planet, pledging to donate 1 percent of annual sales to support non-proft organizations focused on sustainability. Members of 1% for the Planet contribute 1 percent of annual sales directly to any of the approved non-proft environmental organizations in the network. Non-profts are approved based on referrals, track record and sustainability focus. More than 3,000 non-profts worldwide are currently approved. A website focused on Spanish golf industry operators
Hunter Industries launched the second level of the Hunter Product Specialist Program called the Specialist Level. The curriculum of this level focuses on a specifc product and provides a deeper understanding of how the features work as well as how to properly install and confgure the product. The Specialist Level offers several designations. Currently, the designation available is the I-Core and Dual Specialist. Participants should have completed the Technician Level requirements before enrolling in the I-Core and Dual Specialist designation. Once the 10 required courses are completed, users must submit the completion notifcation form.
August 2013 GCM 87
is available at golfndustries.es. It is designed so advertised companies will improve their visibility with golf club managers, greenkeepers, directors of golf, pro shop managers, etc. The site includes the company directories, news, opinion articles, inteviews, job vacancies, second-hand ads, and events agendas. Troon, a leader in golf course management, introduced a pace-ofplay initiative to address the issue at its facilities around the world. Called “Troon Values Your Time,” the program is designed to communicate a pace-of-play standard to guests and members before the issue becomes a problem on the course. The main elements of the program are Time Par (which is an evaluation of the appropriate length of time a golfer should comfortably play and enjoy the course); Pacesetter Times (which are designated morning tee times reserved for players committed to playing quickly in at least 20 minutes under the facility’s Time Par); and Pacesetter Tips (such as choosing tees with a rating of 142 minus your handicap index or simply tee it forward; play ready golf; be car smart; use rules with discretion; keep moving; see it, read it, hole it; and be accountable). For more information, go to www.troongolf.com. The Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA) announced a number of signifcant changes to its annual fagship event, the Canadian International Turfgrass Conference and Trade Show (CITCTS), starting with the upcoming event on Feb. 17-21, 2014, in Vancouver, British Columbia. CITCTS will be staged from Tuesday through Thursday with Specialized Learning Workshop (SLW) scheduled on the preceding Monday and the following Friday. Individuals attending CITCTS will be able to attend the event within the normal work week, a request from delegates and members that was repeated frequently in the hundreds of survey responses received during the review’s 15-month time frame. The new format also will embrace concurrent conference sessions, keynote plenary presentations, industry-sponsored time slots, tech talks and demonstrations as well as full- and half-day SLWs.
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The trade show changes include eight to nine hours of non-competing trade show time, up from 6.5 hours. The timing is being reconfgured from a Monday and Tuesday format to a Tuesday early evening and all day Wednesday format.
PEOPLE news
Eric Johnson, Ph.D., was named vice president of technology at Valent U.S.A. Corp. Johnson is overseeing all research and development functions, as well as all regulatory activities. He joins Valent after 29 years with Monsanto Co., where he was recognized as an expert in the development and launch of innovative technologies in crop protection and biotechnology traits. His contributions to the global agriculture industry include the launch of novel herbicides, the introduction of Roundup Ready soybeans in the U.S. and abroad, the development of new technologies for corn and vegetables and the creation of a tropical research program in Brazil. Johnson is based at company headquarters in Walnut Creek, Calif. John Guglielmi was appointed senior vice president, fertilizer sales, at Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies Inc. Guglielmi has more than 20 years of wholesale and retail fertilizer sales and marketing experience in the production agriculture, professional turf and ornamental horticulture markets. Previously, Guglielmi was director of sales and marketing for The Andersons. Guglielmi is overseeing sales and business development strategies for Crystal Green in the global specialty agriculture, turf and ornamental market. Doug Long joined Staples Golf Resource Group LLC as vice president of design and man-
agement. Long is assisting in the company’s current design projects across the U.S. and will play an increased role in the management of the frm’s expanding energy and water conservation projects. Long has worked more than 35 years in the industry.
better collaboration with their health care team and additional partialonset seizure control. Klauk, whose father, Fred Klauk, was golf course superintendent at TPC Sawgrass from 1986-2008, had epilepsy seizures dating back to 2006. The website is www. ourtimeourpledge.com.
TPC Sawgrass renovations complete
GOLF briefs
Anna Boyle accepted the newly created position of marketing coordinator with La Crosse Forage & Turf Seed LLC after a yearlong internship with the company. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a certifcate in organizational and professional communications. Boyle is based in the La Crosse offce, where she is directing the company’s efforts to better serve the agricultural and turf markets in the upper Midwest.
Belmont Country Club in Ashburn, Va., unveiled a new practice range and golf academy. The new facility is nearly three times the size of the former range and includes the addition of a short game area. Both the new range and the short game area are fully irrigated and drained to signifcantly improve the summertime turf conditions. Toll Golf constructed the new facilities. Granite Golf Club in Stouffville, Ontario, launched its Short Game Academy. Renowned Canadian golf course architect Tom McBroom took two holes from the club’s underutilized fve-hole short course and converted the land into a 3.7-acre state-of-theart practice area.
GCM Submit items for “Industry News” to hrichman@gcsaa.org
William “Bill” Wagner, a former president of the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), was named vice president of club consulting for the Signature Group. Most recently, Wagner served as general manager at Shadow Wood Country Club in Bonita Springs, Fla. Wagner served as CMAA president in 2005. Professional golfer Jeff Klauk joined global biopharmaceutical company UCB Inc. in launching a new pledge campaign. Called “The Pledge,” it empowers the millions of Americans living with epilepsy to take a stand and make a personal commitment to demand more, such as greater understanding of the condition,
Turf Evolutions completed the installation of its surface at TPC Sawgrass as part of a continuing relationship with the home course of The Players Championship. TPC Sawgrass renovated its practice facility and the adjacent PGA Tour Academy in June with an artifcial surface replacement at the back of the reworked tee box and at a hitting area for the academy, totaling approximately 6,500 square feet.
PRODUCTnews
What’s new and hot for your course
fre ants. For optimal results, the product should be applied as a broadcast treatment so foraging ants and hidden or unnoticed mounds receive coverage. Contact BASF, 973-245-6000 (www.basf.com).
Dixie Chopper introduced its 2960EFI model for its Silver Eagle series. The new zero-turn mower is designed for fuel effciency and high performance for use in a variety of commercial applications. The 2960EFI comes with a 60-inch cutting deck for mowing up to 5.3 acres per hour. It’s powered by a 29-hp Kohler EFI engine, and the mower is equipped with a heavy-duty Hydro-Gear pump and Parker wheel motors for smooth, reliable operation. The Elite Cutting System has a 1.75-inch blade overlap and uses Dixie Chopper’s patented X-Blade technology. For enhanced convenience, the mower is equipped with Dixie Chopper’s exclusive Operator Controlled Discharge Chute (OCDC), a system that allows the operator to manually open and close the discharge chute. Contact Dixie Chopper, 765-246-7737 (www.dixiechopper.com).
John Deere updated its 5E Series Tractor line with new Interim Tier 4 engine models and more cab/open operator stations and transmission options. 90 GCM August 2013
The new line includes the 85- and 100-hp four-cylinder tractors, which replace the 83-, 93- and 101-hp models and four 3-cylinder models ranging from 45 to 75 hp. The new 5085E and 5100E feature Interim Tier 4 emissions-compliant PowerTech diesel engines with the 12 Forward/12 Reverse PowrReverser Transmission and 540/540 Economy PTO in base equipment. They can be ordered with an ergonomic climate-controlled cab or with an open operator station, an option not previously available on the larger 5E models. Two options customers requested on the 55- to 75-hp three-cylinder 5E tractors are a cab and the 12/12 PowrReverser Transmission, which makes back and forth chores like loader and blading work easier. Contact John Deere, 866-9933373 (www.johndeere.com). BASF launched Siesta Insecticide Fire Ant Bait with the proprietary active ingredient metafumizone, which is formulated from corn grit along with soybean oil, a proven attractant bait for native and imported
Jacobsen launched its AR522 Contour Rotary Mower with enhanced climbing and cutting performance, the company says. It is an updated version of the previous AR5222 and is designed to maintain intermediate golf rough, green and tee surrounds and sports and recreation fields. It is equipped with SureTrac four-wheel drive traction and weight transfer control, allowing it to glide over ground contours and climb hills with ease. It also is equipped with TrimTek decks that feature a downdraft blade for superior mulching capabilities. The deck’s three-tiered opening distributes clippings evenly and gives the user the ability to mulch or discharge. Contact Jacobsen, 800848-1636 (www.jacobsen.com).
E-Z-Go is showcasing its redesigned TXT Golf Car, updating the model’s classic look. Multiple design updates were developed to increase golfer enjoyment and make the car simple to use and maintain. The dashboard can be equipped with an optional USB port to recharge mobile phones, rangefnders and other small electronics while also providing 30 per-
cent more storage — enough room for an iPad. Storage pockets are placed higher in the dash to protect stored items from the elements. Cup holders provide 45 percent more volume and are relocated to a more central position in the vehicle. Seatbacks are 23 percent larger. Ball holders are now mounted in the outside dash pockets for easy access from outside the vehicle. The oversized bag well accommodates larger golf bags. The forwardneutral switch was relocated to a central location along the bench seat centerline. Front struts are 25 percent thicker for longer life. Contact E-Z-Go, 800-241-5855 (www.ezgo.com).
Flight Systems Industrial Products (FSIP) has a remanufacturing program for electric golf car motor controls and battery chargers. FSIP rebuilds and tests motor controls to OEM specifcations with the latest reliability upgrades being installed during the manufacturing process. Rebuilt controls can come at a lower cost than new controls, the company says, providing immediate bottom-line savings and long-term savings from positive environmental impact by keeping controls out of landflls. FSIP has focused recently on battery chargers used on all makes and models of electric golf cars. Contact FSIP, 800-333-1194. Optimizer Sweet Iron from United Turf Alliance is a sprayable iron polysaccharide product to boost turfgrass color, enhance nutrient uptake and improve overall plant health by enabling both foliar and root absorption of the product by turfgrass plants, the company says. Optimizer Sweet Iron combines a water-soluble form of iron with a complex natural polysaccharide to provide novel delivery and outstanding residual color without the use of urea. In addition, it contains plant-available
amino acids to promote the optimum plant metabolism required for effcient nutrient uptake and utilization. Optimizer Sweet Iron also feeds and stimulates soil microbial populations as the polysaccharide breaks down. Contact United Turf Alliance, 770335-3015 (www.utaarmortech.com).
Shurfo 5059 Series Diaphragm Pump from Pentair is designed for spraying and pumping herbicides, pesticides, liquid fertilizers and hard-to-handle fuids. Pentair says the pump features a feld-proven head design that delivers fow rates up to 5 gallons per minute (gpm) with pressures up to 60 psi and a maximum draw of 17 amps. It is driven by a 12-volt, continuous-duty sealed motor. It also is designed with a Santoprene diaphragm and Viton valves for chemical resistance and maximum lifespan. The new pumps, which can be run dry without damage, also feature a built-in pressure switch, set at 60 psi, to protect the unit in the event of deadheading. When operating at a pressure of 40 psi, Shurfo’s new 5059 units deliver 3.8 gpm with current draw of 13 amps. Contact Pentair, 800-4249776 (www.hypropumps.com).
Seago adds to its offerings
Seago International was named exclusive distributor for the Americas for BowDry and Hover Trimmer. The BowDry machine is a walk-behind water-removing machine that is fast, quiet and effcient, the company says. The Hover Trimmer is a blade and hood attachment that will ft most brands of string trimmers and comes in two sizes. The HT-300 is designed for machines with engines that are 30 cc or larger, and the HT-200 is designed for trimmers that are smaller than 30 cc. Contact Seago International, 800-780-9889 (www.seagousa.com).
sprinkler head yardage markers, which are available from Grund Guide. Underhill, who recently acquired Grund Guide, offers both custom and standard high-visibility markers for all popular golf heads, including
Toro, Rain Bird, Hunter and others. The markers are affxed to the top of the heads and help direct golfers while speeding up play. Contact Underhill, 866-863-3744 (www.underhill.us).
The Andersons Turf & Specialty Group announced it has a new dispersible granule patent, U.S. Patent No. 8,435,321. The ‘321’ patent increased The Andersons’ dispersing granule portfolio to nine issued patents, emphasizing the company’s commitment to adding to its portfolio products designed to deliver nutrients and pest control chemicals directly into the soil, it says. Upon contact with water, each granule disperses into thousands of micro particles that move directly into the root zone. The dispersible granule is designed to eliminate problems with runoff and mechanical pickup, which decreases loss of effciency. Contact The Andersons, 800253-5296 (www.andersonsturf.com). Underhill expanded its line of August 2013 GCM 91
New company showcases solar panels
Renewabold launched its initial product line. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stateof-the-art solar panels, called ForeSolar Golf Cart Kit, are used to power golf carts and promise to greatly increase battery life and driving range, the company says. The panels are ultralight and thin, and also are shatter proof and easy to install. Designed to bring military-grade solar energy to consumers, Renewabold panels feature UL-certifed panels of 100, 160, 200 and 270 watts. The modules are made with high-effcacy monocrystalline cells and are 100 percent American made. Contact Renewabold, 910-399-1918 (https://www.shop.renewabold.com).
TurfEx offers four professional-duty push spreaders. Models TS65 and TS85 offer 75- and 120-pound capacities, respectively, and come with powder-coated frames. Models TS65SS and TS85SS have matching specifcations but are equipped with stainless steel frames for superior corrosion protection, the company says. All products feature precise distribution of granular materials, including fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and seed, with a maximum spread width of 12 feet. They include a manual on/off lever and positive-locking gate that reopens to the calibrated setting for each use. Other standard features include a 10-inch molded plastic spinner, large pneumatic tires, a top screen and a clear poly cover. Contact TurfEx, 866588-7339 (www.trynexfactory.com).
Worksaver Inc. launched its ETG-26 Dual Tine Grapple Rake for use on 30-80 hp front loaders or skid steers with the Universal attaching system. The ETG-26 features two upper grapples that are 20 inches wide, lower tines that are spaced 10 inches apart, and an overall width of 72 inches. The tine grapple is ideal for piling, loading brush and handling other materials while leaving dirt behind, the company says. The upper grapple design provides clamping force to hold material securely, featuring greaseable pivot points for long service life and shield plates to protect the hydraulic cylinders. Contact Worksaver Inc., 217-324-5973 (www. worksaver.com). Echo introduced PowerFuel, the frst pre-mixed gas/oil product to use its Red Armor Oil. It contains 93 octane gas and oil that is ready to use right out of the can. It contains no ethanol and is specifcally developed at
a 50:1 ratio and is the only pre-mixed fuel that uses Echo Red Armor Oil. PowerFuel is recommended for use in air-cooled, two-stroke engines. It facilitates proper break-in and helps extend equipment life, the company says. Contact Echo, 847-540-8400 (www.echo-usa.com).
SitePro from Worksaver Inc. introduced pallet forks designed to increase productivity for mini skidsteers/Compact Tool Carriers. Two models are available, with both featuring universal mini mount type. Model MPF-900 features forks that are 1 inch x 3 inches x 31.5 inches mounted on a frame that is 30.5 inches wide with a rated capacity of 900 pounds. The rail-style model MPF-2000 is rated at 2,000 pounds and utilizes Class I tines of 1.18 inches x 3 inches x 42 inches on a 33.25-inch wide frame. Contact Site Pro, 217-324-5973 (www.sitepro.com).
meangreendegreaser.com). Standard Golf added Green Line products to its line of recycled plastic products. New to the Green Line: tee signs that feature club logo, hole number, par and yardage with optional hole layout; and 24-inch hazard, yardage and rope stakes that feature decorative beveled tops, vibrant UV-resistant colors plus a zinccoated hardened stainless steel spike. New driving range products include recycled club washers, yardage markers, bag stands and racks. Contact Standard Golf, 866-743-9773 (www. standardgolf.com).
Trufuel is a pre-mixed, engineered fuel designed to increase reliability and prevent mess and fumes that can come with mixing your own two-stroke fuel. Trufuel is made for two- and Wittek Golf unveiled its new line of cast bronze and aluminum products. Wittek says it offers all course signs, traffc signs, in ground cast markers, dedication, recognition and identifcation plaques. Contact Wittek, 800869-1800 (www.wittekgolf.com).
Pellucid Corp. offers detailed metrics and monthly updates on weather impact at the national, regional and market levels. Pellucidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proprietary and licensed data sources provide fact-based, independent and unbiased solutions to clients with golf business issues. Contact Pellucid Corp., 847-8087651 (www.pellucidcorp.com). Mean Green Industrial Strength Cleaner & Degreaser from CR Brands Inc. is made to quickly cut through grease and grime to speed rebuilds and maintenance projects, the company says. Mean Green features a doubled amount of chelating agent for superior performance. Contact CR Brands Inc., 866-447-3369 (www.
green kyllinga. The product is labeled for use on both cool- and warm-season turf, including creeping bentgrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, kikuyugrass, zoysiagrass and bermudagrass. It cannot be used on commercial sod farms or on nursery or landscape beds. It is available in 6-ounce bottles with a dosing chamber. Each bottle treats approximately 1 acre. Contact FMC Professional Solutions, 800-3211362 (www.fmcprosolutions.com).
Dismiss CA turf herbicide from FMC Professional Solutions is now registered for use in California and Arizona. It can be applied for control of sedges such as yellow nutsedge, purple nutsedge and
four-stroke small displacement engines such as those found in lawn mowers, trimmers, chain saws and rescue equipment. It is engineered with premium, high-octane, ethanol-free fuel and mixed with the highest quality synthetic oil. Contact Trufuel, 866950-3835 (www.trufuel50.com). Cushman introduced Refresher FS2, designed to increase revenue for golf course operations. It is designed with exclusive FlexServe Technology, a point-of-sale concept. The customizable and modular design features 100 percent accessible storage, 40 percent more merchandising capacity and 14 cubic feet of dry storage space. Refresher FS2 includes a highly versatile end cap with reversible insert for serving morning coffee or afternoon drinks and a 10-square-foot wrap-around counter with plenty of space for preparation of drinks and meals. Contact Cushman, 706-7984311 (www.cushman.com). Fix with Mix and FixMaster from Starting Time are designed to solve fairway divot and ball mark problems. Fix with Mix is a durable
sand and seed dispenser that attaches to the bag or golf cart. FixMaster is a ball mark repair tool that eliminates the action of bending over while still making a perfect repair, the manufacturer says. Contact Starting Time, 800-8515442 (www.startingtimegolf.com).
ON course Aug. 1-4 — PGA Tour, RenoTahoe Open, Montreux Golf & Country Club, Reno, Nev., Doug Heinrichs, CGCS, GCSAA Class A superintendent. Aug. 1-4 — PGA Tour, WGCBridgestone Invitational, Firestone Country Club (South Course), Akron, Ohio, Larry Napora, GCSAA Class A superintendent and director of golf course operations; John Dimascio, CGCS, GCSAA Class A superintendent.
Netafm Techline CV Integral Check Valves is a watersaving solution for irrigating landscapes with elevation changes, such as slopes and low-lying areas. The check valves hold back up to 4.6 feet of water, which means water stays in the tubing when the irrigation is turned off and does not fow down to lower elevations. Techline CV emitters turn on and off at the same time, balancing the irrigation coverage. Contact Netafm, 888-638-2346 (www.netafmusa.com) BrandTrac from Golf Datatech is an online marketing tool designed to track, evaluate and provide qualitative insights into consumer attitudes and opinions of the leading brands and products within the golf industry. BrandTrac is powered by DataRank of Fayetteville, Ark. DataRank is a social analytics company and developer of proprietary monitoring and diagnostic software which collects, processes and prioritizes online conversations in an easy to use Web dashboard, which allows a company to understand the number of posts being made about their product and brands. Contact Golf Datatech, 888-944-4116 (www.golfdatatech.com). Larson Electronics released its 9-watt LED Light with adjustable magnetic mount. The 9-watt LED light provides versatile mounting and high adjustability where precise placement and hands-free operation are important. Contact Larson Electronics, 800369-6671 (www.magnalight.com).
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Aug. 15-18 — Web.com Tour, News-Sentinel Open presented by Pilot, Fox Den Country Club, Knoxville, Tenn., Scott Severance, CGCS, GCSAA Class A superintendent. Aug. 16-18 — LPGA, Solheim Cup, Colorado Golf Club, Parker, Colo., Tony Hartsock, GCSAA Class A superintendent. Aug. 16-18 — Champions Tour, Dick’s Sporting Goods Open, En-Joie Golf Club, Endicott, N.Y., Rocco Greco, superintendent.
Aug. 1-4 — LPGA, Ricoh Women’s British Open, The Old Course, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland.
Aug. 16-18 — Symetra Tour, Eagle Classic presented by Bag Boy, Richmond Country Club, Richmond, Va., Gregory McCue, superintendent.
Aug. 1-4 — Web.com Tour, Mylan Classic, Southpointe Golf Club, Canonsburg, Pa., Alan Easter, GCSAA Class A superintendent.
Aug. 22-25 — PGA Tour, The Barclays, Liberty National Golf Club, Jersey City, N.J., Gregory James, superintendent.
Aug. 2-4 — Champions Tour, 3M Championship, TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minn., Roger Stewart, CGCS, GCSAA Class A superintendent.
Aug. 22-25 — LPGA, CN Canadian Women’s Open, Royal Mayfair Golf Club, Edmonton, Alberta.
Aug. 5-11 — USGA, U.S. Women’s Amateur, Country Club of Charleston, Charleston, S.C., Paul Corder, GCSAA Class A superintendent and golf course maintenance director. Aug. 8-11 — PGA Tour, PGA Championship, Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, N.Y., Jeff Corcoran, GCSAA Class A superintendent. Aug. 8-11 — Web.com Tour, Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr. Pepper, Highland Springs Country Club, Springfeld, Mo., Ken Smith, CGCS, GCSAA Class A superintendent. Aug. 9-11 — Symetra Tour, IOA Golf Classic, Innisbrook Golf Resort-Island, Palm Harbor, Fla., Robert Koehler, superintendent. Aug. 12-18 — USGA, U.S. Amateur, The Country Club, Brookline, Mass., Bill Spence, superintendent. Aug. 15-18 — PGA Tour, Wyndham Championship, Sedgefeld Country Club, Greensboro, N.C., Keith Wood, GCSAA Class A superintendent.
Class A superintendent and Jeff Geller, superintendent. Aug. 30-Sept. 1 — Champions Tour, Shaw Charity Classic, Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club, Calgary, Alberta. Aug. 30-Sept. 2 — PGA Tour, Deutsche Bank Championship, TPC Boston, Norton, Mass., Tom Brodeur, GCSAA Class A superintendent.
COMING up Aug. 1 — Kansas Turf Research Field Day, John C. Pair Horticulture Research Center, Wichita Phone: 785-532-6173 Email: cdipman@ksu.edu Website: www.kgcsa.org Aug. 1 — Iowa Turfgrass Field Day, Ames Host: Dan Strey Phone: 800-605-0420 Website: www.iowagcsa.org
Aug. 22-25 — European Tour, Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, The Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, Scotland.
Aug. 1 — UMass Turf Research Field Day, Joseph Troll Turf Research Center, South Deerfeld, Mass. Phone: 508-892-0382 Website: www.umassturf.org
Aug. 22-25 — Web.com Tour, Cox Classic presented by Lexus of Omaha, Champions Run, Omaha, Neb., Gregory Jones, GCSAA Class A superintendent.
Aug. 3-4 — Northern Ohio GCSA Family and Friends Days at Clay’s Park Resort Phone: 216-469-9287 Website: www.nogcsa.com
Aug. 23-25 — Champions Tour, Boeing Classic, TPC Snoqualmie Ridge, Snoqualmie, Wash., Josh Heersink, GCSAA Class A superintendent.
Aug. 5 — FGCSA Golf BMP Certifcation, First Coast Technical College, St. Augustine, Fla. Contact: Jennifer Bryan Phone: 800-732-6053 Website: www.nfgcsa.com
Aug. 29-Sept. 1 — European Tour, ISPS Handa Wales Open, The Celtic Manor Resort, City of Newport, Wales. Aug. 29-Sept. 1 — LPGA, Safeway Classic presented by Coca-Cola, Columbia Edgewater Country Club, Portland, Ore. Gordon Kiyokawa, CGCS, GCSAA Class A superintendent. Aug. 29-Sept. 1 — Web. com Tour, Hotel Fitness Championship, Sycamore Hills Golf Club, Fort Wayne, Ind., David Thompson, GCSAA
Aug. 5-7 — Southern Nursery Association 2013, Georgia International Convention Center, Atlanta Phone: 678-809-9992 Email: mail@sna.org Website: www.sna.org Aug. 6 — Clemson University Turfgrass Field Day, Pee Dee Research and Education Center, Florence, S.C. Phone: 864-656-3311 Website: www.clemson.edu/extension/horticulture/turf
Aug. 7 — OSU/OTF Field Day, OTF Research Center, Columbus, Ohio Phone: 614-285-4683 Website: www.ohioturfgrass.org
Contact: GCSAA Education Phone: 800-472-7878 Website: www.gcsaa.org/education/ webcasts.aspx
Aug. 13 — Utah State University Field Day, Logan, Utah Phone: 801-282-5274 Email: intermountaingcsa@gmail.com Website: www.igcsa.org
Oct. 3 — GCSAA Webcast: My best feature is rough Contact: GCSAA Education Phone: 800-472-7878 Website: www.gcsaa.org/education/ webcasts.aspx
Aug. 14 — MTF Field Day, Hancock Turf Center, East Lansing, Mich. Website: www.migcsa.org Phone: 888-364-4272 Aug. 19 — University of Illinois Field Day, Stone Creek Golf Club, Urbana, Ill. Host: Perry Greene, CGCS Phone: 309-533-5838 Email: ci-gcsa@hotmail.com Aug. 20 — Soil Properties and More, Chaparral Pines, Payson, Ariz. Email: Carmella@cactusandpine.org Phone: 480-609-6778 Website: www.cactusandpine.com Aug. 22-24 — Farwest Trade Show, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Ore. Phone: 800-342-6401 Website: www.farwestshow.com Aug. 28 — Carolinas GCSA Regional Seminars, Low Country GCSA Phone: 800-476-4272 Website: www.carolinasgcsa.org Sept. 9-12 — Florida Turfgrass Association Conference, Hotel Caribe Royale, Orlando, Fla. Phone: 800-882-6721 Website: www.ftga.ereforida.com Sept. 10 — 19th annual University of Arizona Maricopa County Short Course, SRP Pera Club Contact: Kai Umeda Phone: 602-827-8200 Website: www.turf.arizona.edu Sept. 16 — Georgia GCSA Bermudagrass Forum, King & Prince Golf Course, St. Simons Island, Ga. Contact: Tenia Workman Email: tenia@ggcsa.com Website: www.ggcsa.com Phone: 706-376-3585 Sept. 26 — GCSAA Webcast: My best feature is trees
Oct. 6-8 — Northeast Turfgrass Association Conference, Tri Cities, Wash. Website: www.wwgcsa.org Phone: 253-219-8360 Oct. 9 — Intermountain GCSA Annual Conference/Trade Show, Wendover, Nev. Website: www.igcsa.org Phone: 801-282-5274 Oct. 9 — University of Florida Citra Field Day Website: www.foridagcsa.com Phone: 800-732-6053 Oct. 10 — GCSAA webcast: My best feature is greens: Green speed management update Contact: GCSAA Education Phone: 800-472-7878 Website: www.gcsaa.org/education/ webcasts.aspx Oct. 14 — AmeriTurf Meeting, Oklahoma GCSA Contact: Dawn Coleman Phone: 405-564-4266 Website: www.okgcsa.com Oct. 17 — GCSAA webcast: My best feature is bunkers Contact: GCSAA Education Phone: 800-472-7878 Website: www.gcsaa.org/education/ webcasts.aspx Oct. 23-26 — Professional Grounds Management Society GIE+Expo, Galt House Hotel, Louisville, Ky. Phone: 410-223-2861 Website: www.pgms.org Oct. 23 — GCSAA webcast: SNAG and your community Contact: GCSAA Education Phone: 800-472-7878 Website: www.gcsaa.org/education/ webcasts.aspx
PHOTO quiz answers
John Mascaro President of Turf-Tec International
PROBLEM A The slanted position of this fag is not, as you might have guessed, the result of animal or even human interference; is actually the result of Mother Nature. Last spring a severe thunderstorm moved through this part of Missouri, and the straight-line winds caused some damage on the course, including knocking over all the fags on the back nine. The storm also produced an F-1 tornado in the area. In addition to the fag damage, 25 medium- to large-sized trees went down on the course and 50 more on the properties of the surrounding homeowners also fell. The second photo shows chairs and an awning that were blown onto the tennis court from the pool area located more than 100 yards away. The storm caused an estimated $60,000 in damages to the course, which will have to replace some of the trees that had been essential for player safety by screening tees and fairways. Luckily, no one was injured. Photo submitted by Chad Fetter, assistant superintendent of the Lewis and Clark Course at the Country Club of St. Albans (Mo.), and a one-year member of GCSAA. Bill Maynard, CGCS, is the director of golf and a 27-year member of GCSAA, currently serving on the association’s board of directors.
PROBLEM B The strange pattern on this putting green in the early morning is not really a problem, but I thought it was an interesting photo. In addition to hollowtine aerifcation of the course twice a year, the superintendent directs one employee to operate a Hydroject water-injection machine over the greens collars to open them up. He believes that the collars need the extra attention to remain healthy due to the mechanical stress caused by mowing, rolling and turning of equipment. The superintendent says the Hydroject opens up these areas with minimal disruption to the turf, and they run this equipment on the collars as often as they can. They also use the machine on the greens to supplement aerifcation. During this one-man operation, the unique pattern was caused by the hose being dragged across the green through the morning dew as the Hydroject made a lap around the collar. Photo submitted by Darren J. Davis, the superintendent at Olde Florida Golf Club in Naples, Fla. A 24-year member of GCSAA, he is also currently serving on the association’s board of directors.
If you would like to submit a photograph for John Mascaro’s Photo Quiz, please send it to: John Mascaro, 1471 Capital Circle NW, Suite #13, Tallahassee, FL 32303, or e-mail to john@turf-tec.com. Presented in partnership with Jacobsen
96 GCM August 2013
If your photograph is selected, you will receive full credit. All photos submitted will become property of GCM and GCSAA.
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Oct. 24 — GCSAA webcast: My best feature is greens: Nutrient use and requirements Contact: GCSAA Education Phone: 800-472-7878 Website: www.gcsaa.org/education/ webcasts.aspx Oct. 29 — Green Day Event, Chaparral Pines, Rim Club, Payson, Ariz. Email: Carmella@cactusandpine.org Phone: 480-609-6778 Website: www.cactusandpine.com Oct. 31 — GCSAA Webcast: My best feature is ornamentals Contact: GCSAA Education Phone: 800-472-7878 Website: www.gcsaa.org/education/ webcasts.aspx
NEWLYcertifed Sean Gilliland, CGCS, Stonetree Golf Club at Killeen, Killeen, Tex.
NEWmembers ALABAMA Andrew K. Charcandy, Class C, Birmingham ARKANSAS Koji Mitchell, Class C, Roland CALIFORNIA Jose Gonzalez, Class C, Newport Coast Steven C. Hoying, Class C, Monterey CONNECTICUT Nicholas A. Couceiro, Class C, Darien DELAWARE Matthew Kaminski, Student, Newark FLORIDA James D. Morgan, Student, Lake City Patrick B. O'Neill, Student, Citra Jack O. Perry, Associate, Naples GEORGIA Caleb M. Rathbone, Class C, Pooler IDAHO Tyler R. Oldham, Supt. Mbr., Rupert
98 GCM August 2013
ILLINOIS Jacob Madden, Affliate Co. Rep., Aurora Cody L. Scott, Class C, Peoria INDIANA Anthony D. Landgraff, Supt. Mbr., Kendallville
OKLAHOMA Brad S. Cochran, Class C, Atoka OREGON Keith J. Brandtjen, Student, Corvallis
KANSAS Mike Colestock, Supt. Mbr., Wichita
PENNSYLVANIA Jon C. Coster Jr., Student, University Park Giancarlo Sarullo, Class C, Philadelphia Nicholas J. Tristani, Student, University Park Max T. Vickerman, Class C, Sewickley
MARYLAND Richard E. Stacey Jr., Class C, Easton
SOUTH CAROLINA George T. Vander-Harr, Class C, Greenville
MASSACHUSETTS Alex A. Cononico, Associate, Walpole Ross J. Dominique Jr., Class C, Ludlow
SOUTH DAKOTA Jay Rezac, Supt. Mbr., Harrisburg
IOWA Mitchell L. Meyers, Student, Cedar Rapids
MICHIGAN Rocco Cope, Class C, Harbor Springs Matthew G. DelPup, Student, Brimley Evan E. Herman, Student, Brimley Luke D. Headley, Student, Hudsonville MINNESOTA Timothy M. Halvorson, Student, Crookston Benjamin G. Kasner, Class C, Albany MISSOURI Brian Neufeld, Class C, Blue Springs Todd J. Peterson, Class C, Raymore NEVADA Parker K. Sweat, Class C, Mesquite NEW JERSEY Mike Bandy, Affliate Co. Rep., West Deptford Javid B. Yamin, Student, New Brunswick NORTH CAROLINA John R. Pridgen, Class C, Sanford OHIO Ryan J. Bartels, Class C, Galena Mike Bondoni, Supt. Mbr., Alliance Dennis A Eifel, Supt. Mbr., Pickerington Chris V. Haughey, Supt. Mbr., Columbus Zoran Miling, Student, Columbus Bronson L. Monst, Class C, Ashville Evan W. Riggs, Student, Columbus
TENNESSEE Mark E. Follis, Student, Knoxville Joseph K. Glisson, Student, Cookeville TEXAS JR Bohn, Class A, Graham Tom E. Carter, Student, Lubbock Robert L. Gann, Class C, Universal City Brandon T. McIntosh, Supt. Mbr., El Paso Jason F. Ploetz, Student, College Station WISCONSIN Kevin J. Hartenberger, Student, Platteville Luke J. McGhee, Student, Madison Gram A. Weed, Student, Fennimore WYOMING Joshua D. Mace, Class C, Green River CANADA Alan C. Dolick, Class C, Douro-Dummer, Ontario CHINA Sui Hua Ye, ISM, Chongqing NETHERLANDS Ryan Ruble, Associate, Willemstad Curacao, Antilles
GCM Editor’s note: The information in this report was pulled from GCSAA’s database on June 24, 2013.
ON THE move CALIFORNIA Peter L. Bowman, CGCS, formerly (AFCR) at Andersons Inc., is now (AFCR) at Jacobsen West in Tolleson. David S. Downing II, CGCS, formerly (A) at PGA Golf Club, is now (A) at Golf Maintenance Solutions in Carefree. Michael R. Bailey, formerly (A) at Warner Springs Ranch, is now (A) at ValleyCrest Golf Course Maintenance in Calabasas. Brian Daniel, CGCS, formerly (AA) at Cleary Chemical Corporation, is now (AA) at Target Specialty Products in Santa Fe Springs. Ronald T. Fukuyama, formerly (A) at Fairmont Southampton Golf Course, is now (A) at Santa Clara Golf & Tennis Club in Santa Clara. Richard B. Griffng, formerly (C) at Blackhawk Country Club, is now (AF) at The City of Walnut Creek in Walnut Creek. James E. Hodnett, formerly (AF) at UgMo Technologies, is now (AF) at HydroPoint Data Systems in Petaluma. Bradford D. Holm, formerly (A) at University City Village GC, is now (A) at Skyline Ranch Country Club in Valley Center. Andrew Kramer, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Manhattan Beach Marriott Golf Course, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at DeBell Golf Course in Burbank. Andrew M. Rosales, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Escondido Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Warner Springs Ranch in Warner Springs. Brian Sandland, formerly (A) at Bear Creek Golf & Country Club, is now (A) at The Crossings at Carlsbad in Carlsbad. Nick Sherer, formerly (C) at Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands, is now (C) at Torrey Pines Golf Courses in La Jolla. COLORADO Travis P. Carney, formerly (C) at Noyac Golf Club, is now (C) at Club at Cordillera/Summit in Edwards. Lance Lauer, formerly (C) at Cherry Creek Country Club, is now (C) at Ballyneal Golf and Hunt Club in Holyoke. DELAWARE Andrew W. Ninnemann, formerly (A) at Ricefelds Golf Club, is now (A) at The Peninsula Golf and Country Club in Millsboro.
FLORIDA Orry C. Andrews, formerly (C) at Wilderness Country Club, is now (C) at Hideaway Country Club in Fort Myers. Jeremy D. Chesson, formerly (C) at Tequesta Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at The Champions Club at Summerfeld in Stuart. Jack C. Creveling, formerly (C) at TPC at Sawgrass, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Golden Ocala Golf and Country Club in Ocala. Shane Eble, formerly (A) at Chenal Country Club, is now (A) at Bay Point Resort Golf Club in Panama City. Charles H. Green, formerly (A) at Sage Golf Group Worldwide, is now (A) at PGA Tour in Ponte Vedra Beach. James T. Guggenheim, formerly (A) at Landirr Inc., is now (A) at Kings Ridge Golf Club in Clermont. Patrick T. Horan, formerly (C) at Sea Pines Resort, is now (C) at Lake County Sports Services in Howey In The Hills. Brent LaPointe, formerly (C) at Old Palm Golf Club, is now (C) at Del Aire Country Club in Delray Beach. Jason M. Yakel, formerly (C) at Windstar on Naples Bay, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at West Orange Country Club in Winter Garden. GEORGIA Lydell Mack, formerly (C) at The River Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Big Canoe Golf Club in Jasper. IDAHO John A. Cameron, formerly (AS) at Hillcrest Country Club, is now (C) at Hillcrest Country Club in Boise. ILLINOIS John Otis Jr., formerly (A) at Mission Hills Country Club, is now (A) at Ruffed Feathers Golf Club in Lemont. INDIANA Elmer J. Delaney, formerly (C) at Stone Crest Golf Community, is now (C) at Otis Park Golf Course in Bedford. Timothy Sibicky, formerly (E) at Chicago District Golf Association, is now (E) at Purdue University in West Lafayette. David J. Thompson, formerly (A) at Glendarin Golf Club, is now (A) at Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Fort Wayne. IOWA Chris Hickman, formerly (C) at Blue Top Ridge at Riverside, is now (C) at Grand
Falls Casion Resord in Larchwood. Nathan P. Lindsay, formerly (C) at Pheasant Ridge Municipal Golf Course, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Buffalo Run Golf Club in Nora Springs. LOUISIANA Doug Hamman, formerly (C) at The Woodlands Country Club Palmer Course, is now (C) at Metairie Country Club in Metairie. Scott Tolar, formerly (C) at Lochinvar Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at David Toms Foundation in Shreveport. MAINE James R. Dion, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Sanford Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Dutch Elm Golf Club in Kennebunkport. Todd C. Nichols, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Old Marsh Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Cape Neddick Country Club in Ogunquit.
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MARYLAND Joshua L. Peters, formerly (C) at International Town & Country Club, is now (C) at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Potomac. Wade S. Shaw, formerly (C) at Fairway Hills Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Fairway Hills Golf Club in Columbia. MASSACHUSETTS Scott Godfrey, formerly (C) at Duxbury Yacht Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Little Harbor Country Club in Wareham. Robert Perreault, formerly (C) at Hyannis Golf Club, is now (C) at Olde Barnstable Fairgrounds Golf Course in Marstons Mills. MICHIGAN Christian M. Koval, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Peninsula Golf and Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Lakelands Golf & Country Club in Brighton. John Kulka, formerly (A) at TPC of Michigan, is now (A) at The Henry Ford in Dearborn. Joseph K. Schneider, formerly (C) at Lochmoor Club, is now (C) at Walnut Creek Country Club in South Lyon. MINNESOTA Edward P. Eckholm, CGCS, formerly (A) at Heritage Links Golf Club, is now (AA) at Yamaha Golf & Utility in Burnsville. MISSISSIPPI Jeremy Ely, formerly (C) at Windance
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Golf & Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Sunkist Country Club in Biloxi. MISSOURI Cesar Villanueva, formerly (C) at The Deuce at the National, is now (C) at The National Golf Club of Kansas City in Kansas City. Rodger Howe, formerly (C) at Manasquan River Golf Club, is now (C) at Eagle Oaks Golf Club in Farmingdale. NEW YORK Anthony J. Minniti, formerly (S) at University of Connecticut, is now (C) at Creek Club in Locust Valley. Raymond J. Platt, formerly (S) at University of Connecticut, is now (C) at Hampshire Country Club in Mamaroneck. NORTH CAROLINA John Dawson, formerly (C) at High Point Country Club-Willow Creek Course, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Colonial Country Club in Thomasville. Brian C. Green, formerly (A) at Morehead City Country Club, is now (A) at Lonnie Poole Course at NCSU Centennial Campus in Raleigh.
100 GCM August 2013
Jonathon S. Huss, formerly (A) at Cobblestone Park Golf Club, is now (A) at Monroe Country Club in Monroe. Andrew Sparks, formerly (C) at Hope Valley Country Club, is now (C) at Founders Club at St. James Plantation in Southport. OHIO Lee Carlson, formerly (C) at Double Eagle Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Double Eagle Club in Galena. Brock Ryan, formerly (A) at Cadiz Country Club, is now (A) at Oak Shadows Golf Club in New Philadelphia. OKLAHOMA Todd D. Looper, formerly (C) at Lew Wentz Memorial Golf Course, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Lew Wentz Memorial Golf Course in Ponca City. Christopher A. Sorrell, formerly (A) at Boiling Springs Golf Course, is now (A) at Silverhorn Golf Club in Oklahoma City. OREGON Fred M. Wilken, formerly (C) at Riverside Golf & Country Club, is now (AF) at Pacifc Sports Turf Inc. in Tualatin.
PENNSYLVANIA Nathan Alleman, formerly (C) at Edgewood Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at The Golf Club of Washington in Washington. Joel C. Brooks, formerly (S) at Rutgers University/Cook College, is now (C) at Carlisle Country Club in Carlisle. Randall H. Cluss, formerly (C) at Waldorf Astoria Golf Club, is now (C) at The Springhaven Club in Wallingford. Alan F. Healey, CGCS, formerly (ISM) at Linksshape Golf Course Construction, is now (ISM) at Tanto International Golf in Greensburg. SOUTH CAROLINA John Michnuk, formerly (C) at The Golf Club At Hilton Head Lakes, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at The Golf Club At Hilton Head Lakes in Hardeeville. TENNESSEE Scott Overly, formerly (AS) at University of Georgia, is now (AS) at Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain in Crossville. TEXAS Elliott Dowling, formerly (A) at Cress Creek Country Club, is now (E) at
USGA Green Section in Carrollton. Mark Haven, formerly (A) at Texas A&M Golf Course, is now (A) at Texas A&M Department of Recreation Sports in College Station. James M. Hutton, CGCS, formerly (A) at Deerwood Club of Kingwood, is now (A) at River Hills Country Club in Corpus Christi. Nicholas O. Johnson III, formerly (A) at The Woodlands Country Club Palmer Course, is now (A) at Golfcrest Country Club in Pearland. Charles R. McCaskill, CGCS, formerly (A) at Diamond Oaks Country Club, is now (A) at Stonebridge Ranch Country Club in McKinney. William S. McVey, formerly (C) at Country Club of Birmingham, is now (C) at Club at Carlton Woods in Spring. Randy Samoff, formerly (A) at Redstone Golf Club, is now (A) at Champions Golf Club in Houston. Cody H. Skarpa, formerly (C) at Blackhorse Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Cypress Course at Cypresswood Golf Club in Spring. Norm W. Parsons, formerly (A) at Elmwood Golf Course, is now (A) at Prairie Green Golf Course in Sioux Falls.
VERMONT Max L. Lamas, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Blush Hill Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Lake St. Catherine Country Club in Poultney. VIRGINIA Ryan P. McNamara, formerly (C) at Lake Chesdin Golf Club, is now (C) at The Country Club of Virginia in Richmond. Robert J. Snyder, formerly (C) at Cameron Hills Golf Links, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Traditional Golf Properties in Toano. WISCONSIN Brett R. Hosler, formerly (C) at Ozaukee Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Ozaukee Country Club in Thiensville. WYOMING Clay S. McKinley, formerly (C) at Castle Pines Golf Club, is now (C) at Old Baldy Club in Saratoga. CANADA Michael Powers, CGCS, formerly (A) at Tres Marias Club de Golf, is now (AF) at Suncor Energy in Mississauga, Ontario. CHINA Paul E. Masimore, CGCS, formerly (A) at Reignwood Pine Valley Golf Resort, is now (A) at Pine Rock Golf Club in Beidaihe. SINGAPORE Steve Bruton, formerly (A) at Shanghai Links Golf & Country Club, is now (A) at Raffes Country Club in Singapore. Hsien Liang Teh, formerly (ISM) at Raffes Country Club, is now (ISM) at Marina Bay Golf Course in Singapore.
GCM Editor’s note: The information in this report was pulled from GCSAA’s database on June 24, 2013.
IN memoriam
Joseph F. Dinelli Sr., 82, died June 11, 2013. Mr. Dinelli, a 57-year member of GCSAA, learned the art of greenkeeping by helping his father, Frank, on the golf course. After studying agronomy at Purdue, Dinelli worked for 35 years as golf course superintendent at Northmoor Country Club in Glenview, Ill. Mr. Dinelli is survived by his wife, Marilyn; daughters Jodie L. Dinelli (Mike O’Connell) and Jamie E. (Mike) Reynolds; sons F. Daniel (Laurie) Dinelli and Joseph F. Jr. (Laura) Dinelli; grandchildren Carrie Nicole, Jessie Lakota, Nicole Marie, Danica Elaine and Sophia Marianna. The family wishes for donations to be made to the EIFG. David K. McCallum, 62, died Feb. 4, 2013. Mr. McCallum, a 27-year member of GCSAA, worked as a golf course superintendent for 39 years, including his service as the frst superintendent of The Island Country Club in Plaquemines, La., and also worked during his career at Riverlands Country Club, Briarwood Country Club, Shreveport Country Club, Baton Rouge Country Club and Alexandria Golf & Country Club. He also was a Vietnam veteran who served in two tours of duty from 1967 to 1969. McCallum is survived by his wife, Jolene; son Donny (Amy Buzzi) McCallum; granddaughters Macy Bird McCallum, Murphy Bell McCallum, and Perry Rounsaville McCallum; and sister Tolly (Harvey) Williamson. Matthew B. Pawlos, 28, died Feb. 14, 2013. Mr. Pawlos, a two-year member of GCSAA, earned a degree in turf management in 2006 from Penn State. He worked at Blackhawk Golf Course, Oakmont Country Club and Fox Chapel Golf Club. He is survived by his parents, David and Janice Pawlos; sister Hilary (Matthew) Hoover; and niece Madelyn Hoover.
GCM
John T. Benze, 55, died Sept. 17, 2012. Mr. Benze, a 34-year member of GCSAA, worked at several Ohio golf facilities, including Reid Memorial Park Golf Club and Ridgewood Golf Course. He was a member of the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation. He is survived by his wife, Diane; sons Christopher Benze and Jonathan Benze; sister Mary Jo (Chuck) Pelley; and brother Jim (Pam) Benze.
August 2013 GCM 101
AD index Advertiser Telephone
PARTNERS
Page number URL
AMVAC (888) GO-AMVAC
35 www.amvac-chemical.com
Aquatrols Corporation (800) 257-7797
PLATINUM PARTNER
37 www.aquatrols.com
Advertiser Telephone The Andersons, Inc. (800) 253-5296 TRIMS Software International Inc. (800) 608-7467
Page number URL 25 www.AndersonsPro.com 103 www.trims.com
John Deere Co. (800) 257-7797
4-5 www.johndeere.com/Golf
Bos Sod Farms (800) 267-7763
103 www.bossod.com
Turf Screen (267) 246-8654
53 www.turfmaxllc.com
The Toro Co. (800) 752-0463
IFC-1 www.toro.com
Buffalo Turbine (716) 592-2700
92 www.buffaloturbine.com
Turfco (800) 679-8201
33 www.turfco.com
Champion Turf Farms (888) 290-7377
8-9* www.championturffarms.com
East Coast Sod & Seed (856) 769-9555
GOLD PARTNER
103 www.eastcoastsod.com
31, 97 www.jacobsen.com
Foley United (800) 225-9810
67 www.foleyunited.com
Syngenta Professional Products Cover 4 (909) 308-1633 www.syngentaprofessionalproducts.com
GCSAA Services (800) 472-7878
8-9*, 19, 49, 59, 61, 63, 65, 88 www.gcsaa.org
Jacobsen (800) 232-5907
GE Capital, Equipment Finance (469) 586-2010 Golf-Lift Div. Derek Weaver Co., Inc. (800) 788-9789
SILVER PARTNER Barenbrug USA (800) 547-4101
39*, Cover-tip www.barusa.com
BASF (888) 566-5506
6-7 www.betterturf.basf.us
Grigg Bros. (888) 623-7285 J2 Golf Marketing (877) 263-1614
103 www.golf-lift.com 47 www.griggbros.com 57 www.j2golfmarketing.com
Landmark Seed (800) 268-0180
51 www.turfandnativeseed.com
Lebanon Turf (800) 350-6650
14-15, 48-49 www.lebanonturf.com/
Lastec (866) 902-6454
100 www.lastec.com
2-3 www.paraide.com
Milorganite (800) 287-9645
101 www.milorganite.com
21, 87, 89, 91, 93, 95 www.pbigordon.com
MultiGuard (908) 272-7070
Cover 3 www.multiguardprotect.com
23 www.precisionlab.com
Pifer (888) 442-8442
103 www.pifergolf.com
PBI Gordon Corp. (800) 971-7233 Precision Laboratories, Inc. (800) 323-6280
17 www.quali-pro.com
PlanetAir Turf Products (507) 446-8399
29 www.planetair.biz
11, 40-41 www.tee-2-green.com
Sand Trapper (IVI-Golf) (888) 970-5111
99 www.sandtrapper.com
Quali-Pro (888) 584-6598 Tee-2-Green Corp. (800) 547-0255
*Denotes regional advertisement
27 www.gecapital.com/golf
Bayer Environmental Science 19* (866) 550-8785 http://www.backedbybayer.com/golf-course-management
Par Aide Products Co. (513) 470-0160
Wiedenmann North America (866) 790-3004
LebanonTurfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
2014
Dog Days of Golf Calendar Win $3,000 for your chapter, $500 for your local Humane Society and $500 for you! The 2014 Dog Days of Golf Calendar is sponsored by LebanonTurf in cooperation with GCSAA.
102 GCM August 2013
13 www.terraspike.com
Denotes affliate member
GCM arketplace E NOW AVAILABL 2013 GCSAA Compensaton and Benefts Report Key access to • demographic data • salary trends • valuable beneft informaton
www.gcsaa.org
BENTGRASS SOD
Greens Height • Tee/Fairway Height
FESCUE
Fine • Blue/Fine • Tall
BLUEGRASS
Regular • Short-Cut INSTALLATION AVAILABLE
EAST COAST SOD & SEED 596 Pointers Auburn Road • Pilesgrove, NJ 08098 www.eastcoastsod.com
856-769-9555 August 2013 GCM 103
the fnal shot
Photographer: Rich Gagnon Title: GCSAA Class A golf course superintendent Course: Segregansett Country Club, Taunton, Mass. GCSAA membership: 19-year member The shot: Gagnon, who has been at Segregansett CC for the past 10 years, is also an avid photographer and captured this photo of the contrasts on the 18th hole of his facility early on the morning of July 5. Camera: Canon 5D Mark II, with a Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 ISII lens.
Do you have a photograph that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like the GCM staff to consider for The Final Shot? You can submit photos for consideration by e-mail to thefinalshot@gcsaa.org or to GCM editor-in-chief Scott Hollister at shollister@gcsaa.org.
They can’t eat if they’re
DEAD KILLS NEMATODES ON CONTACT.
An all out nematode attack can kill turf and playability on your course. Destroy root eating nematodes with MultiGuard Protect®, a natural, non-phytotoxic nematicide derived from sugar cane that can also be used with other nematicides or green treatments. MultiGuard Protect® will leave no harmful residue on the plant or soil, and it promotes a healthy root system, improving plant uptake. Learn more at multiguardprotect.com or call 908-272-7070.
© 2013 Agriguard Company, LLC.
You can’t change the climate. That’s why we created new chemistry. There’s no controlling the temperature. But with Briskway™ fungicide, you can help control all major summer turf diseases with no heat restrictions. Thanks to a new active ingredient— difenoconazole—Briskway is a cooling DMI containing fungicide that can be used on all turf types, even in the hottest months, with no PGR effects. Combine that with the disease control and plant health benefts of azoxystrobin, and you can keep your turf looking great no matter the climate. Visit www.NoHeatRestrictions.com
©2012 Syngenta. Important: Always read and follow label instructions before buying or using Syngenta products. The label contains important conditions of sale, including limitations of warranty and remedy. All products may not be registered for sale or use in all states. Please check with your state or local extension service before buying or using Syngenta products. Briskway™, the Alliance Frame, the Purpose Icon and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. Syngenta Customer Center: 1-866-SYNGENT(A) (796-4368). MW 1LGG2034-P1 8/12